12: Conceptual Objective 12 — Read

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12.1: Perception of sound
This page examines sound perception, detailing how properties like frequency, amplitude, and spectral content influence human auditory experiences. It highlights the subjective nature of loudness, pitch, and timbre, and explains how the brain translates sound vibrations into perception.
- 12.1.1: Subjective impressions
- 12.1.2: What drives perception
12.2: Hearing
Hearing is the perception of sound. (Perception is commonly defined to be awareness through the senses, a typically circular definition of higher-level processes in living organisms.) Normal human hearing encompasses frequencies from 20 to 20,000 Hz, an impressive range. Sounds below 20 Hz are called infrasound, whereas those above 20,000 Hz are ultrasound. Neither is perceived by the ear, although infrasound can sometimes be felt as vibrations.
12.3: Intensity and Loudness of Sound
This page explains that loudness is the perception of sound intensity, measured in decibels (dB). A 10-dB increase leads to a tenfold increase in loudness. Sound intensity is affected by wave amplitude and distance, with greater amplitude resulting in louder sounds and distance reducing intensity. It also notes that sounds above certain decibel levels can be damaging to hearing.
12.4: Sound Intensity and Sound Level
Intensity is defined to be the power per unit area carried by a wave. Power is the rate at which energy is transferred by the wave.
12.5: Loudness Perception
This page delves into loudness perception, discussing how amplitude and frequency affect our auditory experience. It covers sound pressure amplitude, intensity, and levels (SIL and SPL in dB), and examines the relationship between sound intensity and distance. The text also addresses hearing loss risks from loud noises, frequency sensitivity, and presents equal loudness contours, offering a thorough insight into sound measurement and its implications for human perception.
12.6: Pitch, Loudness and Timbre
This page examines the subjective nature of sound perception, specifically pitch, loudness, and timbre, while connecting them to objective measurements like fundamental frequency and amplitude. It discusses sound intensity, decibels, and just noticeable differences, emphasizing the complexities of human hearing relative to scientific instruments.

This page titled 12: Conceptual Objective 12 was last modified on Sun, 28 Sep 2025 20:49:00 GMT and is shared under a not declared license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Andrew Morrison (Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Illinois (CARLI)) .

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