Which term describes the maximum change in pressure from baseline in a sound wave?

Which term describes the maximum change in pressure from baseline in a sound wave?

• A. Amplitude
• B. Acoustic variables
• C. Bandwidth
• D. Circumference

Answer: (A)

Amplitude measures how far the pressure deviates from the ambient, undisturbed pressure. In a sound wave, compressions raise pressure above baseline and rarefactions lower it; the largest deviation from baseline is the peak pressure value, which we call the amplitude. This is distinct from bandwidth, which is about the range of frequencies present, or from acoustic variables, a broader term for properties like pressure and density, and from circumference, which is unrelated to sound.

Amplitude measures how far the pressure deviates from the ambient, undisturbed pressure. In a sound wave, compressions raise pressure above baseline and rarefactions lower it; the largest deviation from baseline is the peak pressure value, which we call the amplitude. This is distinct from bandwidth, which is about the range of frequencies present, or from acoustic variables, a broader term for properties like pressure and density, and from circumference, which is unrelated to sound.