system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
Why is the loudest sound possible 194 dB?
gpt
What we perceive as sound is longitudinal pressure waves traveling through the air.  The "loudness" of sound is dictated by the amplitude of the waves - in this case, the deviation from ambient air pressure.  A sound of 194 dB has a pressure deviation of 101.325 kPa, which is ambient pressure at sea level and 0 degrees C.  Thus, the sound waves are creating vacuums between themselves, and no higher amplitude is possible.

For what it's worth, "sounds" can actually be greater than 194 dB, but the extra energy begins to severely distort the entire wave, and it's more of a shock wave than traditional sound waves.