To understand the decibel scale. the decibel scale is a logarithmic scale for measuring the sound intensity level. because the decibel scale is logarithmic, it changes by an additive constant when the intensity as measured in w/m2 changes by a multiplicative factor. the number of decibels increases by 10 for a factor of 10 increase in intensity. the general formula for the sound intensity level, in decibels, corresponding to intensity i is β=10log(ii0)db, where i0 is a reference intensity. for sound waves, i0 is taken to be 10−12w/m2. note that log refers to the logarithm to the base 10.
what is the sound intensity level β, in decibels, of a sound wave whose intensity is 10 times the reference intensity (i. e., i=10i0)?