(dB) A customary logarithmic measure most commonly used (in various ways) for measuring sound. Decibel is a way to express the ratio of two sound intensities: dB=10log10I1/I2 being I1 the reference. If one sound is 1 bel (10 decibel) 'louder' than another, this means the louder sound is 10 times louder than the fainter one. A difference of 20 decibel corresponds to an increase of 10 x 10 or 100 times in intensity.
The intensity of ultrasound decreases during the propagation and is measured in db/cm.
For sound pressure (the pressure exerted by the sound waves) 0 decibel equals 20 microPascal (μPa), and for ultrasonic power 0 decibel sometimes equals 1 picoWatt.

See also dB/dt, Phon, and Logarithms.

(I) The intensity of a wave is the rate of power through a unit region perpendicular to the direction of propagation. The unit of intensity is watts per square meter (W/cm2).

Power in ultrasound describes the energy generated by a wave or in a signal per unit of time. The power is measured in watts (W) and is proportional to the square of the amplitude.

See also Spatial Average Intensity, Ultrasound Radiation Force and Time Average Intensity.

The source level is the acoustic power (sound pressure) in decibels (dB) referenced to 1.0 microPascal measured at 1 meter from the sound source transmitted through a unit area in a specified direction.
The unit of intensity is watt per square meter, but source level is commonly given as a relative intensity in dB.