12.6: Pitch, Loudness and Timbre — Read

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The mechanism of human hearing does not operate as a perfect scientific instrument. In this chapter we relate a few subjective measurements of sound (things people report after hearing a sound) to objective, scientific measurements (measurements made in a laboratory using scientific instruments). The three subjective quantities of pitch, loudness and timbre are related to laboratory measurements of a sound wave's fundamental frequency, amplitude and waveform, respectively.

Key Terms:

Pitch, fundamental frequency, \(v=f\lambda\), loudness, sound intensity (in \(\text{W/m}^{2}\)), sound intensity level (SIL in \(\text{dB}\)), decibels (\(\text{dB}\)), inverse square law, just noticeable difference (loudness and frequency), timbre.

12.6.1: Pitch, Loudness and Timbre
This page explores the interplay between subjective sound experiences and objective measurements, emphasizing how human perceptions of pitch, loudness, and timbre relate to sound wave properties like frequency, amplitude, and waveform. It highlights the complexities of human hearing, revealing that it does not operate as a perfect scientific tool.

This page titled 12.6: Pitch, Loudness and Timbre was last modified on Mon, 06 Oct 2025 01:06:04 GMT and is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Andrew Morrison (Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Illinois (CARLI)) .

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