ISO 17497-1:2004 specifies a method of measuring the random-incidence scattering coefficient of surfaces as caused by surface roughness. The measurements are made in a reverberation room, either in full scale or on a physical scale model. The measurement results can be used to describe how much the sound reflection from a surface deviates from a specular reflection. The results obtained can be used for comparison purposes and for design calculations with respect to room acoustics and noise control.

The method is not intended for characterizing the spatial uniformity of the scattering from a surface.