Which weighting scale is used to measure sounds as the human ear hears them?

The A-weighting scale is specifically designed to reflect the way the human ear perceives sound at various frequencies. This weighting accounts for the sensitivity of human hearing, which is less sensitive to low and very high frequencies while being more sensitive to mid-range frequencies where the ear is most responsive.

In practice, the A-weighting scale is used in noise measurement to represent the perceived loudness of sounds, making it particularly useful in assessing environmental noise, workplace noise levels, and ensuring compliance with hearing conservation regulations. By applying A-weighting, sound level meters can provide results that better relate to potential impacts on human hearing, allowing for more effective evaluation and management of noise exposure.

The other weighting scales, like B, C, and D-weighting, serve different purposes. B-weighting is not commonly used in sound measurements, C-weighting is primarily used for measuring peak sound levels and noise in the environment, and D-weighting is seldom utilized in noise assessments. Thus, A-weighting is the most appropriate choice for measuring sounds as the human ear hears them.