1. What is Reverberation Time?

Reverberation time (RT60) is the time required for the sound pressure level in a room to decrease by 60 dB after the sound source has stopped. It's a key acoustic parameter that affects speech intelligibility and music quality in architectural spaces.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the Sabine equation:

Where:

• \( V \) — Volume of the room (m³)
• \( A \) — Total absorption in the room (m²)
• 0.161 — Empirical constant (when using meters as units)

Explanation: The equation shows that reverberation time is directly proportional to room volume and inversely proportional to the total absorption in the room.

3. Importance of RT60 Calculation

Details: Proper RT60 is crucial for designing spaces with optimal acoustics. Different room types require different RT60 values - concert halls need longer reverberation times than lecture halls, for example.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter room volume in cubic meters and total absorption in square meters. Both values must be positive numbers. The absorption coefficient can be calculated by summing the products of surface areas and their absorption coefficients.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What is the ideal RT60 for a classroom?
A: Typically 0.4-0.6 seconds for optimal speech intelligibility.

Q2: How does room shape affect RT60?
A: While the Sabine equation doesn't account for shape, room geometry affects sound distribution and may require more complex calculations.

Q3: What are typical absorption coefficients?
A: Range from 0.01 (concrete) to 1.0 (open window). Materials like carpet (0.3), acoustic panels (0.8), and curtains (0.5) have intermediate values.

Q4: When is the Sabine equation not accurate?
A: In very small rooms, very dead rooms (A approaches V), or rooms with non-uniform absorption distribution.

Q5: How to measure RT60 in practice?
A: Using specialized equipment that records the decay of a test signal (like a balloon pop or swept sine) and analyzes the decay curve.