A-weighting

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/a-weighting

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the standard definition?IEC 61672:2003 defines the A-weighting curve
2. What is the frequency range of peak sensitivity?Approximately 1 kHz to 5 kHz
3. What is A-weighting and why do we use it?A-weighting is a special way to measure sound that makes loudness feel like how our ears actually hear it. It adjusts the numbers so that sounds that bother us more are counted higher.
4. Why does a 70 dB sound at 100 Hz feel quieter than the same level at 2 kHz?Our ears are most sensitive to middle‑range sounds, especially around 2‑5 kHz, so a 70 dB sound at 100 Hz is less noticeable than one at 2 kHz.

Psychoacoustics: The study of how humans perceive sound and its psychological effects.
Sound Pressure Level (SPL): An objective measure of sound intensity based on the pressure exerted by sound waves.
Noise-Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL): Permanent hearing damage caused by exposure to loud sounds.