ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Rothwell scale

Ok, so you know how sometimes you might hear a sound that's really, really loud? Like a big explosion or thunder or something like that? Well, scientists have a way of measuring how loud sounds are so that we can understand them better. They call this measurement the Rothwell Scale.

Basically, the Rothwell Scale goes from 0 to 194 decibels (dB), which is a way of measuring how much sound energy there is. The higher the number, the louder the sound. But since we're talking like you're five, let's use some examples to help understand what different numbers on the Rothwell Scale mean.

At 0 dB, there's no sound at all. It's completely quiet. This might happen if you're in a really quiet room with no one talking or anything else making noise.

At around 60 dB, it starts to get a little bit noisy, like a normal conversation between people or a dishwasher running in the background.

At around 100 dB, it's pretty darn loud, like a motorcycle or a chainsaw.

At 130 dB, it's dangerously loud and can cause hearing damage, like standing next to a jet engine.

At the highest end of the Rothwell Scale, around 194 dB, it's so loud that it can literally create shockwaves that can break things like glass or buildings. This might happen in a big explosion or a volcanic eruption.

So basically, the Rothwell Scale is just a way for scientists to measure how loud sounds are so that we can understand them better and protect ourselves from really loud noises that could hurt our ears.