Bode-Diagramm
The logarithmic scale nature of the decibel means that a very large range of ratios can be represented by a convenient number, in a manner similar to scientific notation. This allows one to clearly visualize huge changes of some quantity. See "Bode plot" and "Semi-log plot". For example, 120 dB SPL may be clearer than "a trillion times more intense than the threshold of hearing".