2007-02-05 10:59:53 · 2 answers · asked by brandontremain 3 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Geography
A lot of things we measure in the physical world tend to be exponential, such as sound intensity, which is measured in decibels, or dB.. Take a piano, for example. Every octave represents a doubling of sound frequency, so that on a logarithmic scale, it would just be a straight line. Otherwise, on a regular non-logarithmic plot, it will seem flat and then suddenly zoom straight up, no matter what scale you use.
If A is 10 dB greater than B, then that means A is 10 times greater than B. So that, for example, if C is 20 dB greater than B, it means C is 100 times greater than B. On a logarithmic plot, this would just be a straight line.
2007-02-05 11:04:54 · answer #1 · answered by Scythian1950 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Some things are naturally like that including sound levels. It also saves space because an exponential curve can be turned into a straight line.
2007-02-05 19:05:08 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋