ISO 3743-1:2010 specifies methods for determining the sound power level or sound energy level of a noise source by comparing measured sound pressure levels emitted by this source (machinery or equipment) mounted in a hard-walled test room, the characteristics of which are specified, with those from a calibrated reference sound source. The sound power level (or, in the case of noise bursts or transient noise emission, the sound energy level) produced by the noise source, in frequency bands of width one octave, is calculated using those measurements. The sound power level or sound energy level with frequency A-weighting applied is calculated using the octave-band levels.

The method specified in ISO 3743-1:2010 is suitable for all types of noise (steady, non-steady, fluctuating, isolated bursts of sound energy, etc.) defined in ISO 12001.

The noise source under test may be a device, machine, component or sub-assembly. The maximum size of the source depends upon the size of the room used for the acoustical measurements (see 4.2).

The test environment that is applicable for measurements made in accordance with ISO 3743-1:2010 is a hard-walled test room with prescribed acoustical characteristics.

Information is given on the uncertainty of the sound power levels and sound energy levels determined in accordance with ISO 3743-1:2010, for measurements made in frequency octave bands and for A-weighted frequency calculations performed on them. The uncertainty conforms to ISO 12001:1996, accuracy grade 2 (engineering grade).