Sound pressure

Sound pressure is the variation in air pressure caused by a sound wave, traveling through the air or other medium. When something vibrates, it creates areas of higher and lower pressure, which our ears detect as sound. Think of it like ripples on a pond; these ripples are pressure changes that reach your ear. Louder sounds have greater pressure differences, meaning larger fluctuations between high and low pressure. Conversely, softer sounds have smaller pressure variations. Sound pressure is measured in units called pascals (Pa) and is fundamental to how we perceive and measure sound's intensity.