Measurement Locations: For the “Walk Away” activity to work, the SLM must be positioned properly for the students to obtain accurate sound level measurements. The following locations are advised:

1. The first measurement is made VERY close to the blender motor and away from the exhaust fan if present. Hold the SLM microphone about 1 inch away from the base of the blender. The displayed value should read well above 90 dBA and indicate that the blender is at a “dangerous level” at this position.
2. The second measurement location is about 4 feet away from the blender, again with the SLM microphone pointed in the direction of the blender. The displayed value should read much lower than the first measurement, and ideally would drop below 85 dBA to a “safe” level.
3. The third measurement location is about 15 feet away from the blender, again with the SLM microphone pointed in the direction of the blender. The displayed value should read even lower than the second measurement and indicate a “very safe” level well below 85 dBA.

The actual distances from the blender for locations #2 and #3 can be adjusted depending on the size of the room. An example of a good set of measurements for this blender activity would be; 105 dBA at the closest location, 80 dBA at the 2nd location and 75 dBA the furthest location #3. The absolute values don’t necessarily matter as long as the trend is from a definitely “dangerous’ level, to a ‘safe” level (80-85 dBA) to a “very safe” level (<80 dBA)