In the context of the decibel (dB) scale, negative numbers indicate a decrease or attenuation in the magnitude of a quantity being measured. The decibel scale is commonly used to express the relative levels of sound, power, or intensity.
Negative decibel values are used to represent a decrease in amplitude or intensity compared to a reference level. For example, in sound measurement, the reference level is often the threshold of human hearing, which is approximately 0 decibels (dB). Any sound with a negative decibel value would have an intensity or amplitude lower than the threshold of hearing.
Negative decibels can also be used to describe the attenuation of a signal. For instance, if you have an audio signal and you apply a -10 dB attenuation, it means you are reducing the signal's amplitude by 10 decibels, resulting in a quieter or less intense sound.
It's important to note that the decibel scale is logarithmic, which means that each increase or decrease of 10 dB represents a tenfold change in the quantity being measured. Therefore, a negative value on the decibel scale indicates a smaller magnitude or a reduction in intensity compared to the reference level.