ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Psophometric weighting

Psophometric weighting is like putting on special hearing goggles that help us understand how loud or quiet different sounds are in a way that's easier to measure.

Imagine if we were trying to listen to a conversation in a noisy room. Some sounds might be really loud and overwhelming, while others might be quieter and harder to hear. Psophometric weighting helps us understand which sounds are important and which ones aren't.

Scientists measure sound in units called decibels (dB). But not all decibels are created equal. Psophometric weighting takes into account how our ears perceive different frequencies of sound.

Some frequencies are more bothersome to our ears (like high-pitched noises), while others are less noticeable (like very low rumbles). By assigning different weights to different frequencies, psophometric weighting helps us come up with a more accurate way of measuring how loud or quiet a sound really is.