How many times louder is 20 decibels compared to 1 decibel?

To determine how many times louder 20 decibels is compared to 1 decibel, it's important to understand how the decibel scale works. The decibel (dB) scale is logarithmic, meaning that every increase of 10 dB represents a tenfold increase in intensity.

When you have 20 decibels and you compare it to 1 decibel, you can calculate the difference in decibels:

20 dB - 1 dB = 19 dB.

Since each increase of 10 dB equates to a tenfold increase, a difference of 19 dB represents a slightly more complex calculation because it's not a whole number of decibels. However, you can break it down by first recognizing that a 10 dB increase means 10 times louder. A subsequent 9 dB increase approximately corresponds to a factor of 8 (since 10 dB is 10 times and each additional dB contributes to the intensity increase).

In total, the equation for perceived loudness can be generalized: a 20 dB sound is 10 times louder than a 10 dB sound and about 10 times 10 times louder than a 1 dB sound.