Question

Write a short note on loudness.

Answer 1

Two sounds with the same intensities need not have the same loudness. For example, the sound heard during the explosion of balloons in a silent closed room is very loud when compared to the same explosion happening in a noisy market. Though the intensity of the sound is the same, the loudness is not. If the intensity of sound is increased then loudness also increases. But additionally, not only does intensity matter, the internal and subjective experience of “how loud a sound is i.e., the sensitivity of the listener also matters here. This is often called loudness. That is, loudness depends on both intensity of sound wave and sensitivity of the ear (It is a purely observer-dependent quantity which varies from person to person) whereas the intensity of sound does not depend on the observer. The loudness of sound is defined as “the degree of sensation of sound produced in the ear or the perception of sound by the listener”.