Editing Logarithmic scale (section)

=== Table of examples ===

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Unit
! Base of logarithm
! Underlying quantity
! Interpretation
|-
| [[bit]]
| {{math|2}}
| number of possible messages
| [[Quantities of information|quantity of information]]
|-
| [[byte]]
| {{math|2<sup>8</sup> {{=}} 256}}
| number of possible messages
| [[Quantities of information|quantity of information]]
|-
| [[decibel]]
| {{math|10<sup>(1/10)</sup> ≈ 1.259}}
| any [[Power, root-power, and field quantities|power quantity]] ([[sound power]], for example)
| [[sound power level]] (for example)
|-
| [[decibel]]
| {{math|10<sup>(1/20)</sup> ≈ 1.122}}
| any [[Power, root-power, and field quantities|root-power quantity]] ([[sound pressure]], for example)
| [[sound pressure level]] (for example)
|-
| [[semitone]]
| {{math|2<sup>(1/12)</sup> ≈ 1.059}}
| [[frequency]] of [[sound]]
| [[pitch interval]]
|}

The two definitions of a decibel are equivalent, because a ratio of [[Power, root-power, and field quantities|power quantities]] is equal to the square of the corresponding ratio of [[Power, root-power, and field quantities|root-power quantities]].{{citation needed|reason=The two definitions of the logarithmic unit or of the quantity are not equivalent.  The same numeric value is obtained in a linear system with a constant impedance and the choice of units, but they are inherently different units despite having the same name.|date=December 2019}}<ref>[https://repository.oceanbestpractices.org/bitstream/handle/11329/2340/A-Century-of-Sonar.pdf?sequence=1 Ainslie, M. A. (2015). A Century of Sonar: Planetary Oceanography, Underwater Noise Monitoring, and the Terminology of Underwater Sound.]</ref>