Turn up the volume and the trace on an oscilloscope grows taller. Sing a higher note and the waves pack closer together. Two separate dials, amplitude and frequency, control two separate things you hear.
The loudness of a sound depends on the amplitude of the wave: a larger amplitude is louder. The pitch depends on the frequency: a higher frequency is a higher pitch. The two are independent, so a sound can be loud and low, or quiet and high.
The loudness of a sound is set by the amplitude of the wave, and the pitch is set by the frequency. A larger amplitude sounds louder; a higher frequency sounds higher in pitch.
On an oscilloscope a louder sound gives a taller trace, and a higher pitch gives waves that are packed more closely.
Adjust amplitude and frequency to match a target wave, and watch how each control changes a different feature.
Four quick checks. Each correct answer earns XP and lights this skill on your star map.
The loudness of a sound depends on its...
The pitch of a sound depends on its...
A higher pitched note has a...
On an oscilloscope a louder sound shows up as a trace that is...
Amplitude and frequency act independently, so changing one does not change the other.
| Change you make | Effect on the sound |
|---|---|
| Increase the amplitude | Louder, the trace gets taller |
| Decrease the amplitude | Quieter, the trace gets shorter |
| Increase the frequency | Higher pitch, more waves in the same width |
| Decrease the frequency | Lower pitch, fewer waves in the same width |
Amplitude controls loudness and frequency controls pitch, and they are independent. Turning up the volume makes the trace taller, it does not pack the waves closer. Packing more waves into the same width raises the pitch, it does not make the sound louder.
Unlocks once the four checks above are done. Worth more XP, written in the style of Paper 2.
Two notes are shown on a CRO. Note X has a taller trace than note Y, but both have the same number of waves across the screen. Compared with Y, note X is...
A singer raises the pitch of a note without changing how loud it is. On a CRO the trace would show...
Which change makes a sound louder without altering its pitch?
Loudness and pitch are sorted. Keep the chain going.