How are decibels measured?

What makes a particular noise louder than another is how much energy is put into producing it, and we measure and express this loudness in decibels. We can measure decibels with a decibel meter. Sound is a vibration passed from one molecule to another. When it reaches our ears, the vibration is converted into sound by our brain. The larger the vibration, the louder we interpret the sound. A decibel meter contains a very sensitive microphone that acts a little bit like our eardrums and measures the size of the vibration caused by the sound wave. This is then interpreted into an electrical signal and gives out a reading in decibels. Essentially, the more the microphone vibrates, the larger the decibel reading.