Sound in Computing

Question 1

What is sound made up of?

Answer 1

Sound is made up of bits.

Question 2

What are analogue signals?

Answer 2

Analogue signals are pieces of continually changing data.

Question 3

When sound is first recorded by a microphone what type of signal is it?

Answer 3

When sound is first recorded by a microphone it is an Analogue signal.

Question 4

What type of signal can computers read and not read?

Answer 4

Computers can not read Analogue signals and so they are converted into Digital data so that the computer can read it.

Question 5

What is the process of converting Analogue to Digital is called?

Answer 5

The process of converting Analogue to Digital is called sampling.

Question 6

What is the definition of Sample Rate(or Sampling Frequency)?

Answer 6

Sample Rate is the amount of samples you take in a second.

Question 7

What is Sample rate measured in?

Answer 7

Sample Rate is measured in Hertz(Hz) or Kilohertz(kHz).

Question 8

What is the formula for File Size (bits)?

Answer 8

File size (bits) = Sample Rate (Hz) x Sample Resolution x Length (seconds)

Question 9

What does increasing the Sample Rate do to the quality of the recording?

Answer 9

Increasing the Sample Rate means the analogue recording is sampled more often. The sampled sound will have better quality and will more closely match the original recording.

Question 10

What happens when you increase the Sample Resolution?

Answer 10

Increasing the Sample Resolution means the digital file picks up quieter sounds, even if they’re happening at the same time as louder ones. This will also result in a sampled sound that is closer to the quality of the original recording.

Question 11

What is the effect increasing the Sample Rate or Sample Resolution has on the file size?

Answer 11

Increasing the Sample Rate or Sample Resolution will increase the File Size.