What would be the expected sound loss in decibels when a listener is moved from 30 feet to 60 feet from a sound source?

To determine the expected sound loss in decibels when moving a listener from 30 feet to 60 feet from a sound source, it’s essential to understand the inverse square law of sound propagation. This principle states that sound intensity decreases with the square of the distance from the source.

In practical terms, when the distance from the source doubles, the sound intensity is reduced by a factor of four. The relationship between intensity and decibels is logarithmic. Specifically, a decrease by a factor of four corresponds to a reduction of 6 dB.

When moving from 30 feet to 60 feet, the distance has indeed doubled, resulting in the listener experiencing a 6 dB reduction in sound intensity. However, if a listener were to consider the distance not strictly doubling but looking at the transition directly from 30 feet to 60 feet in terms of overall distance, the sound experienced will continue to reflect that loss across any doubling increment.

Thus, if we calculate the sound loss across this specific doubling of distance:

• From 30 feet to 60 feet results in a loss of 6 dB considering the doubling, and as the distance continues to scale, one might perceive this to round or provide an aggregate estimate