Sound Converter

How these units are defined

Frequency units are SI prefixes of the hertz (one cycle per second). The bel is a base-10 logarithmic ratio; one bel is 10 decibels.

Worked examples

• 1 Hertz = 0.001 Kilohertz
• 10 Hertz = 0.01 Kilohertz
• 100 Hertz = 0.1 Kilohertz

Common mistakes

• •Decibels are logarithmic: two 60 dB sources together make about 63 dB, not 120 dB.
• •dB SPL, dB(A) and dBm use different reference values and weightings; they cannot be compared directly.

Sound conversions

Sources for these factors

1. The International System of Units (SI Brochure), 9th edition — BIPM
2. Guide for the Use of the International System of Units (SP 811), Appendix B: conversion factors — NIST

Last reviewed 26 October 2026 against these sources. An automated check recomputes every factor from its definition on each build. How we check accuracy

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