# Decibel
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## Microsims — p5.js
### Decibel (p5.js) · `10 log₁₀`
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<iframe src="https://editor.p5js.org/sciencenibber/full/24mafFmdO" width="100%" height="480" frameborder="0" loading="lazy" sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin" title="Decibel — p5.js microsim"></iframe>
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*A logarithmic ratio for power and amplitude that matches how we hear loudness and spans huge ranges.*
**Open in the editor:** [▶ fork this sketch](https://editor.p5js.org/sciencenibber/sketches/24mafFmdO) · movement *VIII · Imaging, audio & sensors* · library `p5js`
### Related microsims
Live sims on neighbouring articles — 4 of them inside this article's own Wikipedia link tree:
- [[Control_theory]] *(in tree)*
- [[Nonlinear_system]] *(in tree)*
- [[Signal-to-noise_ratio]] *(in tree)*
- [[Sine_wave]] *(in tree)*
- [[Digital_image_processing]]
- [[Distortion]]
*Sim hosted off-article; the article owns the reference, not the runtime (WIKI_RULES §10.4). Placed by `g08_place_microsims.py`.*
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## Links (Wikipedia order)
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`A-weighting` · `Absolute_scale` · `Absorbance` · `Acoustics` · `Alexander_Graham_Bell` · `Amplifier` · `Amplitude` · `Antenna_factor` · `Apparent_magnitude` · `Arithmetic` · `Attenuation` · `Attenuator_(electronics)` · `Audio_signal` · `Audiogram` · `Bell_Labs` · `Bell_System` · `Bode_plot` · `Cable_television` · `Capacitance` · `Carrier-to-noise_ratio` · `Cent_(music)` · `Circuit_noise_level` · `Circular_polarization` · `Clipping_(signal_processing)` · `Coaxial_cable` · `Common_logarithm` · [[Control_theory]] · `Cutoff_frequency` · `DBFS` · `DBZ_(meteorology)` · `DB_drag_racing` · `DBc` · `DBm` · `DBm0` · `DBrn` · `David_M._Pozar` · `Day-night_average_sound_level` · `Day–evening–night_noise_level` · `Decade_(log_scale)` · `Deci-` · `Decibel_(disambiguation)` · `Decibel_watt` · `Dimensional_analysis` · `Dipole_antenna` · [[Dynamic_range]] · `E_(mathematical_constant)` · `Electrical_impedance` · `Electrical_load` · `Electronic_circuit` · [[Electronics]] · [[Engineering]] · `F-number` · `Figure_of_merit` · `Focal_Press` · `Fourier_transform` · `Free-space_optical_communication` · `Full_scale` · `Gain_(electronics)` · `Google_Books` · `Hearing_level` · `Heat` · `Hertz` · `Hyphen` · `IEC_60027` · `ISO/IEC_80000` · `ITU-R_468_noise_weighting` · `Image_sensor` · `Institute_of_Electrical_and_Electronics_Engineers` · `International_Electrotechnical_Commission` · `International_Organization_for_Standardization` · `International_System_of_Units` · `International_Telecommunication_Union` · `Jansky` · `Joseph_Carr` · `Joule` · `Just-noticeable_difference` · `Kelvin` · `Level_(logarithmic_quantity)` · `Line_level` · `Linear_polarization` · `Linear_system` · `Link_budget` · `Linux` · `Logarithmic_mean` · `Logarithmic_scale` · `Loudness` · `Metric_prefix` · `Mile` · `Minimum_audibility_curve` · `Multiplicative_inverse` · `National_Institute_of_Standards_and_Technology` · `National_Weather_Service` · `Natural_logarithm` · `Neper` · `Noise_temperature` · [[Nonlinear_system]] · `Ohm's_law` · `One-third_octave` · `Optical_fiber` · `Optical_link` · `Optical_power` · `Optics` · `PH` · `Pascal_(unit)` · `Path_loss` · `Phon` · `Power,_root-power,_and_field_quantities` · `Power_(physics)` · `Professional_audio` · `Psophometric_weighting` · `Radar_cross_section` · `Radian` · `Radio_propagation` · `Ratio` · `Reference_noise` · `Resistor` · `Root_mean_square` · `Rupert_Neve` · `Shunt_(electrical)` · [[Signal-to-noise_ratio]] · `Significant_figures` · [[Sine_wave]] · `Slide_rule` · `Sone` · `Sound_intensity` · `Sound_on_Sound` · `Sound_power` · `Sound_pressure` · `Spectral_density` · `Square_wave_(waveform)` · `Stimulus_(psychology)` · `System_of_units_of_measurement` · [[Telecommunications]] · `Telephony` · `Underwater_acoustics` · `Unit_of_measurement` · `VU_meter` · `Volt` · [[Voltage]] · `Voltage_source` · `Watt` · `Waveguide` · `Weather_radar` · `Weber–Fechner_law` · `Weighting_filter` · `Wire_gauge`
> Signal Processing concept · part of the Signal Processing Portal · movement VIII · !82 音響 onkyō.svg
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!480
*Rendered from the live microsim (▶ motion).*
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## See it next
[](Audio_signal_processing)
*→ Audio signal processing*
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---
Back to Signal Processing Portal · the room · Semiotic gateway
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## What it is
The decibel (dB) is a logarithmic unit expressing the ratio between two values of a power or amplitude-like quantity, equal to one tenth of a bel.
## How it works / why it matters
For a ratio of powers the level in decibels is 10·log10(P1/P0); for field or amplitude quantities such as voltage, pressure, or current it is 20·log10(A1/A0), because power scales with the square of amplitude. The logarithmic scale compresses very large ranges into manageable numbers and matches the roughly logarithmic response of human hearing, so decibels are ubiquitous in acoustics, audio, electronics, and telecommunications. Referenced units such as dBSPL, dBm, or dBFS fix P0 to a defined baseline so absolute levels can be stated.
## Signs & universals
Instantiates: measurement · amplitude · signal.
## Related
The decibel quantifies signal levels, gain, and attenuation across Audio signal processing and telecommunications; it measures the effect of Dynamic range compression and Limiting, the strength of Noise reduction, and the response of a Digital filter.
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## From the Real GENERATIVE library
> The decibel (symbol: dB) is a relative unit of measurement equal to one tenth of a bel (B). It expresses the ratio of two values of a power or root-power quantity on a logarithmic scale. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decibel))
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*Built to the [[WT!P5_js_Microsim_Master_Class|p5.js Master Class]].*
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<!-- ACOUSIM:BEGIN g22 — Acoustics portal microsim (framework build, specs/acoustics/variants/Decibel.json); do not hand-edit inside -->
**Microsim — three.js (Wikitube framework):** *Decibel*
<div class="wt-sim" data-src="https://wikitube-3d-microsims.netlify.app/acoustics/Decibel.html" data-title="Decibel"></div>
*Built from `MICROSIM_GUIDE/specs/acoustics/variants/Decibel.json`; part of the [[PORTAL_Acoustics|Acoustics portal]] spine (section sims and See-also variants).*
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## Wikipedia : Wikitube
**Strict pair:** [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decibel) : [Wikitube](https://en.wikitube.io/wiki/Decibel)
## Previous hub tags
Tree parent: [[Feedback]].
Legacy hubs: none.
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*Sources: 1 legacy note. Minted wave 1, 2026-07-30 (v1.6 order).*