Unit 35 Task 1
All ‘sound’ is just our brain’s interpretation of vibrations made by external stimuli. This is explained by acoustic theory. Vibrations created by a source such as knocking a door come out as sound waves. The higher the frequency of these waves, the higher in pitch this sound will be. For example, D and C in the same octave on a piano differ in that a wave that sounds like D has a higher frequency than C. A wave’s frequency, wavelength and amplitude are all linked; the higher it’s frequency, the shorter its wavelength as the wave has less distance to travel between each peak and trough. Meanwhile a wave’s amplitude translates in the ear to loudness of the sound. Acoustic theory is relevant in all sound sources, not just synthesised ones. Many instruments, such as guitar and piano, employ strings; here, the pitch as a note is determined by how rapidly the string vibrates (as this produces a higher frequency of wave). Thicker strings vibrate more slowly which lowers pitch, whi...