This International Standard describes preferred methods for the description and the physical measurement of single impulsive sounds or short series of impulsive sounds and for the presentation of the data. It does not provide methods for interpreting the potential effects of series of impulses of noise on hearing, community response or structures.

This International Standard applies to single impulsive sounds or short series of impulsive sounds such as those produced by explosions, artillery fire, bombing and similar activities, sonic booms, pistol and rifle fire, and cartridge- operated tools or machines.

Two different kinds of measurements are considered:

• measurements of phase-sensitive parameters, such as peak sound pressure level and duration, that directly characterize the variation of sound pressure with time; and
• measurements of time-integrated quantities such as frequency-weighted sound exposure level or sound energy level.