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Sound exposure

Sound exposure is the integral, over time, of squared sound pressure. The SI unit of sound exposure is the pascal squared second (Pa<sup>2</sup>·s).

Mathematical definition

Sound exposure, denoted E, is defined by

where

  • the exposure is being calculated for the time interval between times t<sub>0</sub> and t<sub>1</sub>;
  • p(t) is the sound pressure at time t, usually A-weighted for sound in air.

Sound exposure level

Sound exposure level (SEL) is a logarithmic measure of the sound exposure of a sound relative to a reference value.<br> Sound exposure level, denoted L<sub>E</sub> and measured in dB, is defined by

where

  • E is the sound exposure;
  • E<sub>0</sub> is the reference sound exposure;
  • is the neper;
  • is the bel;
  • is the decibel.

The commonly used reference sound exposure in air is

The proper notations for sound exposure level using this reference are or , but the notations , , dBSEL, or dB<sub>SEL</sub> are very common, even if they are not accepted by the SI.

References