Decibel values must be converted to ratios before they can be added

Evidence

One important factor may be mentioned again. When the integration of specific loudness leads to the total loudness, we have to be aware of the fact that integration (corresponding to measuring the area below a certain curve) can only be performed if linear scales are used on the abscissa as well as on the ordinate. Therefore, it is not possible to do any integration process on the left part of Fig. 8.19. This can only be done on the right part, where specific loudness is plotted on a linear scale as a function of critical-band rate, also on a linear scale. — Professor Dr.-Ing. Hugo Fastl, Professor Dr.-Ing. Eberhard, Psychoacoustics- Facts and Models, 1283 (#corroborates, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Decibel increases map powers of ten to logarithms; Decibel sound levels cannot be added directly because they are logarithmic; Total loudness requires linear scales before integration is valid — Professor Dr.-Ing. Hugo Fastl, Professor Dr.-Ing. Eberhard, Psychoacoustics- Facts and Models, 1283 (+4 more)

Related

• Total loudness requires linear scales before integration is valid (similarity 0.89)
• Decibel sound levels cannot be added directly because they are logarithmic (similarity 0.88)
• Decibels cannot be summed directly because they are logarithmic power ratios (similarity 0.88)
• Decibel increases map powers of ten to logarithms (similarity 0.87)
• Decibel sound levels cannot be added directly because sound powers combine, not levels (similarity 0.85)
• Loudness perception is logarithmic, which is why decibel scales fit hearing so well. (similarity 0.83)
• Total loudness is the integral of specific loudness over critical-band rate (similarity 0.83)
• Sound level multiplications become decibel additions in reflections (similarity 0.83)
• Logarithmic hearing means equal decibel steps need larger absolute pressure differences (similarity 0.82)
• Adding equal sound intensities yields a 3 dB total increment (similarity 0.81)
• Loudness perception is essentially logarithmic (similarity 0.81)
• Loudness depends on more than physical sound intensity alone (similarity 0.80)
• Adding uncorrelated sound sources raises level as the square root of their number (similarity 0.80)
• Sound intensity spans a trillion-fold range, forcing a logarithmic scale (similarity 0.80)
• Two equal uncorrelated sound sources add only 3 decibels. (similarity 0.80)

Broader Connections

• Decibel sound levels cannot be added directly because they are logarithmic #corroborates (1.00)
• Total loudness requires linear scales before integration is valid #corroborates (0.95) — Professor Dr.-Ing. Hugo Fastl, Professor Dr.-Ing. Eberhard, Psychoacoustics- Facts and Models, 1283
• Two equal uncorrelated sound sources add only 3 decibels. #exemplifies (0.95)
• Adding equal sound intensities yields a 3 dB total increment #exemplifies (0.90)
• Sound level multiplications become decibel additions in reflections #expands (0.85)
• Adding uncorrelated sound sources raises level as the square root of their number #exemplifies (0.85)