Lab Report 5 ANPC

Nouma Saleha
Reg No : 299808
Submitted to: Mam Madiha

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 Table of Contents:
Introduction:...........................................................................2
Objective:................................................................................3
Theory:....................................................................................3
Principle:.................................................................................3
Environmental significance:..................................................4
Apparatus:..............................................................................4
Calibration:.............................................................................5
Procedure:...............................................................................5
Calculations:...........................................................................6
Conclusion...............................................................................6
References...............................................................................6

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 Sound Level Meter:
Introduction:
Sound-level meter, device for measuring the intensity of noise, music,
and other sounds. A typical meter consists of a microphone for picking up
the sound and converting it into an electrical signal, followed by
electronic circuitry for operating on this signal so that the desired
characteristics can be measured.

Objective:
To understand the calibration, working principle, and function of a sound
level meter.

Theory:
A sound level meter is an instrument designed to respond to sound in
approximately the same manner as the human ear and it gives
reproducible measurements of sound pressure level. The
threshold of hearing is about twenty decibels for the average young
listener, and the threshold of pain (extremely loud sounds) is around 120
decibels.
The sound intensity level (in dB) of a sound is given by:
I
SIL =10 (log I ₒ )

Where, I is the intensity of the sound of interest, in Watts/m 2, and I0 is the

threshold intensity, which is defined as 10-12 Watts/m2. The digital sound
level meter provides automatic or manual ranging in six measurement
ranges from 30 to 130 dB.

Principle:
Sound is basically an oscillation in the air. Sound travels in the form of
pressure waves as it progresses through the air. The strength of the pressure
waves determines the volume of the sound. Sound is measured in terms of
Decibels (dB). Decibels do not increase in volume linearly, rather
logarithmically. This means if a sound is 10 decibels more as compared to
another, it means it has 10 times more pressure. High volume sounds have so

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 much energy wave pressure that it can damage our ear drums. Hence, two
major factors to be considered are:

 The sound intensity

 The time of exposure to that intensity of sound

A meter consists of a microphone for picking up the sound and converting it

into an electrical signal, followed by electronic circuitry for operating on this
signal so that the desired characteristics can be measured. The indicating
device is usually a meter calibrated to read the sound level in decibels.

Environmental significance:
Environmental noise measurement and control has two basic objectives:
To protect us today against noise intrusions that annoy us and disrupt our
daily activities and to protect us in the future against increasing noise
levels that would further reduce the quality of our environment.

Apparatus:
The various elements in a measuring system are:

 Transducer i.e. the microphone

 Electronic amplifier and calibrated attenuator for gain control
 Frequency weighting or analyzing possibilities
 Data storage facilities
 Display

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Calibration:
Microphones are individually calibrated at the factory, and the calibration
chart must be delivered with the instrument. In the field, calibration is
performed by applying a known sound pressure level at a fixed frequency
to the microphone. Calibrators are small, battery driven that operate on
different principles. One operates at 250 Hz and produces a sound level
of 124 dB, accurate to + 0.2 dB. To obtain the best results, the
microphone should be well sealed in the coupler opening. A change in
atmospheric pressure alters the calibration level slightly, but a correction
138 Sound measuring instruments can be made using the barometer
which is provided as a part of the instrument set. Another example is a
pocket unit, which operates at 1000 Hz. The calibration level is 94 dB
with an accuracy of + 0.5 dB.

Procedure:
Experiment performed in chemistry lab.
 I checked the batteries before use.
 I turned on the SLM.
 I oriented SLM properly.

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  I set the settings to 30 and slow.
 I removed all intruding objects that will degrade the frequency response
of the microphone.
 I installed the SLM on a stable and sturdy tripod to isolate the sound level
meter from vibration.
 I stand at a reasonable distance (2-3 m) behind the sound level meter.
 I recorded the noise level first on Minimum setting, then switched to
Maximum using the same button.
 I took duplicate readings for both settings.
 I recorded the average noise level.

Calculations:
Instant values obtained from the instrument are mentioned below:

Max. (dB) Min. (dB)

1 78.3 67.5
2 89.5 61.3
3 103 61.3
4 103 61.3
5 103 61.3
6 103 61.3

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 Sound level in chemistry lab
120

100

80

60

40

20

0
1 2 3 4 5 6

Max. (dB) Min. (dB)

Conclusion:
AS we started our experiment there was no people in the lab and noise
was low but as we proceed the experiment the movement and activities
started to happen and kept happen till the end of our experiment. We
observed constant and high noise level.
Noise above 70 dB over a prolonged period may start to damage your
hearing. Loud noise above 120 dB can cause immediate harm to your
ears.
So, our reading is above 70 dB which can cause damage to people in lab
as the working hours of the lab are almost 12hr. We need to control noise
pollution. By the end of experiment, I was able to calibrate the device and
fully aware of the instrument functions.
References:
 http://personal.cityu.edu.hk/~bsapplec/sound6.htm
 https://www.britannica.com/technology/sound-level-meter
 http://faculty.tamuc.edu/cbertulani/music/labs/lab9/lab9.pdf
 https://www.who.int/occupational_health/publications/noise6.pdf

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