Difference Between Decibel and Hertz

Decibel vs Hertz

Decibel and hertz are two units used in sound and wave mechanics. These two units are widely used in fields such as acoustic engineering, wave mechanics and even quantum mechanics. It is vital to have a clear understanding in these units in order to excel in these fields. In this article, we are going to discuss what decibel and hertz are, their definitions, similarities, and finally the differences between decibel and hertz.

What is Hertz?

Hertz is the unit used to measure frequency. To understand the meaning of hertz properly, one must first understand frequency. Frequency is a concept discussed in periodic motions of objects. A periodic motion can be considered as any motion that repeats itself in a fixed time period. A planet revolving around the sun is a periodic motion. A satellite orbiting around the earth is a periodic motion even the motion of a balance ball set is a periodic motion. Most of the periodic motions we encounter are circular, linear or semi-circular. A periodic motion has a frequency. The frequency means how “frequent” the event occurs. For simplicity, we take frequency as the occurrences per second. Periodic motions can be either uniform or non-uniform. A uniform one can have a uniform angular velocity. Functions such as amplitude modulation can have double periods. They are periodic functions encapsulated in other periodic functions. The inverse of the frequency of the periodic motion gives the time for a period. The unit hertz is named to honor the great German physicist Heinrich Hertz. The dimensions of hertz are per time (T^-1). Hertz is the SI unit for measuring frequency.

What is Decibel?

The base unit of decibel is “bel”, which is a very rarely used unit. The unit decibel is directly connected to the intensity of a wave. The intensity of a wave at a point is the energy carried by the wave per unit time per unit area at that point. The unit decibel is used to measure the intensity level of a wave. The decibel value is the logarithmic ratio of the intensity of the wave to a certain reference point. For the sound waves, the reference point is 10-12watts per square meter. This is the minimum hearing threshold of the human ear. The sound intensity level at that point is zero. Decibel is a very useful mode when it comes to fields such as amplifiers. This method can be used to convert multiplications and ratios into subtractions and additions.

What is the difference between hertz and decibel? • Hertz is used to measure frequency, but decibel is used to measure intensity level. • Hertz is an absolute unit, which does not depend on external factors. Decibel is dependent on the reference intensity as well as the multiplication factor at the beginning of the equation. • The definition of decibel changes depending on the type of waves, but the definition of the hertz is valid for every situation. • Hertz has basic dimensions of per time. Since decibel is a logarithmic value multiplied by a constant, it is a dimensionless value.