The term was proposed by psychologist Stanley Smith Stevens in 1936 to create a scale where a sound that is twice as loud as another has a value that is twice as high. For example: : The baseline (a 1k Hz tone at 40 dB). 2 sones : A sound perceived as twice as loud as 1 sone. 4 sones : A sound perceived as four times as loud as 1 sone. Sones vs. Decibels: What’s the Difference? The primary difference lies in physics vs. perception .
S=2(P−40)/10cap S equals 2 raised to the open paren cap P minus 40 close paren / 10 power is the loudness in sones. is the loudness in phons. Summary Table: Sone Levels in Context Perceived Loudness Comparison Very Quiet A quiet library or rustling leaves A calm office or refrigerator hum Normal conversation or a dishwasher A busy street or a vacuum cleaner sones definition
A is a unit of subjective loudness. By definition, one sone is equal to the loudness of a 1,000 Hertz (Hz) tone at a sound pressure level of 40 decibels (dB). The term was proposed by psychologist Stanley Smith
: In contrast, decibels are logarithmic; it typically takes a 10 dB increase for a human to perceive a sound as "twice as loud". Real-World Applications 4 sones : A sound perceived as four times as loud as 1 sone
When manufacturers rate bath fans or range hoods, they use sones to tell you how "noisy" the product will be in your home.