Problem 7 Flashcards
Physical definition of sound
Sound is pressure changes in the air
Perceptual definition of sound
Sound is the experience we have when we hear
Condensation
Causes an increase in the density of air molecules
–> increased air pressure
Rarefaction
Decreased density of air molecules
–> decreased air pressure
Pure tone
Occurs when changes in air pressure occur in a sine wave
- -> fundamental building blocks of sound
- -> rare in the environment
Frequency
The number of cycles per second that the pressure changes repeat
–> measured in hertz (Hz)
ex.: 1 Hz = 1 cycle/s
Amplitude
The size of the pressure change
–> difference in pressure between high + low peaks of the sound wave
(dB)
Complex tones
Consist of a number of pure tunes components added together
Harmonics
Refer to the components of complex tones
–> integer multiples of the fundamental
Fundamental/
First harmonic
The lowest frequency that is physically present in the sound
–> lowest tone of the harmonic series (longest WL)
Loudness
The perceptual quality, most closely related to amplitude, of an auditory stimulus
- -> expressed in decibels
- -> depends on amplitude + frequency
Audibility curve
Indicates the threshold for hearing vs frequency
Auditory response area
Area above the audibility curve
–> indicates where we can here sounds
Equal loudness curve
Indicates the sound levels that create the same perception of loudness at different frequencies
Pitch
The perceptual quality we describe as “high” or “low”
- -> associated with music, speech + other natural sounds
- -> can’t be measured in a physical way, but measured by how we perceive it
=> our sense of pitch is limited to those frequencies that create phase locking
(<5.000 Hz)
Tone height
The perceptual experience of increasing pitch that accompanies increases in a tones fundamental frequency
Tone chroma
Notes with the same letter
Effect of the missing fundamental
Describes the constancy of pitch even when the fundamental or other harmonies are removed