Decibels (db) are used to measure

• A. Measurement of sound intensity (loudness/softness)
• B. Frequency of sound
• C. Duration of sound
• D. Quality of tone

Answer: (A)

Decibels measure the intensity of a sound, expressed as the sound pressure level relative to a reference. This logarithmic unit captures how strong or loud a sound is perceived, rather than its pitch, duration, or tone color. Frequency (pitch) is measured in hertz, duration in seconds, and quality of tone (timbre) comes from the spectral content and envelope of the sound. So decibels are the appropriate measure for loudness, whereas the other aspects are described by different quantities.