ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Sound level meter

A sound level meter is a device that helps you measure how loud, or quiet, different noises are.

Imagine you are sitting in a library, where everyone is supposed to be very quiet. If you whisper to your friend, it might not seem very loud to you, but you could still be disturbing other people trying to read or study. A sound level meter can tell you exactly how loud your voice is in decibels (dB), which is a measure of sound intensity.

The sound level meter has a special microphone that picks up sounds and converts them into electrical signals. These signals are then measured and displayed on a screen or gauge as a number in dB.

Different sounds have different dB levels. For example, a leaf rustling in the wind might be around 10dB, while a rock concert could be as loud as 120dB or more!

So next time you want to know how loud something is, you can use a sound level meter to find out!