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# Contents

- Introduction
- Learning outcomes
- 1 Sound basics
  - 1.1 Music and technology
  - 1.2 What is sound?
  - 1.3 Describing sound
  - 1.4 Summary
- 2 Sinusoidal pressure waves
  - 2.1 The importance of sine waves
  - 2.2 Pressure in the atmosphere
  - 2.3 Pressure waves and cycles
  - 2.4 Period
  - 2.5 Wavelength
  - 2.6 Pressure variations in one place
  - 2.7 Summary
- 3 Frequency
  - 3.1 Frequency and period
  - 3.2 Summary
- 4 The speed of sound
  - 4.1 The experimental result
  - 4.2 Frequency, wavelength and the speed of sound
  - 4.3 Summary
- 5 Phase
  - 5.1 Phase and phase difference
  - 5.2 Cancellation and reinforcement
  - 5.3 Summary
- 6 Amplitude
  - 6.1 Defining amplitude
  - 6.2 Practical units of amplitude
  - 6.3 Root-mean-square amplitude
  - 6.4 Summary
- 7 Pitch and loudness
  - 7.1 The subjective experience
  - 7.2 Summary
- 8 The octave
  - 8.1 The octave sound
  - 8.2 Octave pitch and frequency increments
  - 8.3 Summary
- 9 The ranges of human hearing
  - 9.1 Frequency range
  - 9.2 Dynamic range
  - 9.3 Summary
- 10 The decibel
  - 10.1 Introduction
  - 10.2 Adding decibels
  - 10.3 The decibel as a measure of sound amplitude
  - 10.4 Summary
- Conclusion
- Acknowledgements

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