A Simple Sound Wave

Question	Answer
What is an auditory stimulus in it's most basic form?	The sinewave or "pure tone"
What are the three principle elements that contribute to variations in sound?	Frequency, amplitude and phase
Outline frequency	The rate at which pressure changes are propagated. It is measures in Hertz (Hz) of which is the number of cycles per second. It is the dominant element in determining pitch.
Outline amplitude	(or intensity) is the difference between the maximum pressure and the atmospheric pressure, i.e. the magnitude of compression and rarefaction. It is expressed in deciBels (dB) and is the dominant element determining loudness.
Outline phase	The angle in degrees at a specific point in the wave cycle. The relation between the phases of two tones is important for the timbre of different sounds. It also contributes to localisation.

Resource summary

	Created by Petite Piplup over 10 years ago