PSYC 100 Chapter Notes - Chapter 4.3-4.4: Logarithmic Scale, Sound, Sound Intensity

• School: Queen's University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYC 100
• Professor: Jordan Poppenk

Document Summary

Describe the auditory system from ear to cortex. Describe how sound waves are translated by our auditory system into psychological characteristics. Number of cycles between high and low pressure in one second in units hz (if one compression and rarefaction occur within 1 second) Range of human = 20,000 hz: adulthood the highest frequency = Our sensitivity of sound is dependent upon its frequency: most sensitive to sounds 1000-4000. Measured in db (logarithmic scale: log scale because we can comfortably hear a wide range of sound db define the difference between two sounds in terms of the ration between their sound pressures. The physical intensity at different frequencies does not sound equally loud: increase in frequency = increase in loudness. Sine wave/ pure tone is the sound produced by a tuning fork. Timbre: perceptual dimension of sound determined in part by its complexity.