Hearing loss is affected by ___.

Hearing loss is affected by ___.

• A. the decibel level of the noise
• B. the duration of the noise
• C. both a and b
• D. neither a nor b

Answer: (C)

Hearing loss from noise depends on the energy reaching the inner ear, which is determined by both how loud the sound is and how long you’re exposed. A louder sound delivers more energy per second, and a longer exposure adds up that energy over time. Since the decibel scale is logarithmic, increasing the level by about 3 dB roughly doubles the energy, so the safe exposure time halves as level goes up. Therefore, both the noise level and the exposure duration influence the risk of hearing loss—a very loud sound can cause damage quickly, while a quieter sound can still cause damage if heard for a long period.

Hearing loss from noise depends on the energy reaching the inner ear, which is determined by both how loud the sound is and how long you’re exposed. A louder sound delivers more energy per second, and a longer exposure adds up that energy over time. Since the decibel scale is logarithmic, increasing the level by about 3 dB roughly doubles the energy, so the safe exposure time halves as level goes up. Therefore, both the noise level and the exposure duration influence the risk of hearing loss—a very loud sound can cause damage quickly, while a quieter sound can still cause damage if heard for a long period.