What is frequency?

What is frequency?

• A. The number of cycles per second of a sound wave, measured in Hertz.
• B. The strength or height of a sound wave.
• C. The shape of a sound wave that determines the sound's timbre.
• D. The lowest frequency in a complex tone.

Answer: (A)

Frequency is how often a sound wave repeats each second. It’s the rate of the wave’s cycles, measured in Hertz (Hz), where 1 Hz equals one cycle per second. More cycles per second mean a higher pitch, while fewer cycles per second mean a lower pitch. This concept is different from amplitude, which is the wave’s height and relates to loudness, and from timbre, which comes from the shape of the waveform and its harmonic content. In a complex tone, the lowest frequency component is called the fundamental frequency, but frequency as a idea refers to the overall rate of repetition of the waveform, not just that single component.

Frequency is how often a sound wave repeats each second. It’s the rate of the wave’s cycles, measured in Hertz (Hz), where 1 Hz equals one cycle per second. More cycles per second mean a higher pitch, while fewer cycles per second mean a lower pitch. This concept is different from amplitude, which is the wave’s height and relates to loudness, and from timbre, which comes from the shape of the waveform and its harmonic content. In a complex tone, the lowest frequency component is called the fundamental frequency, but frequency as a idea refers to the overall rate of repetition of the waveform, not just that single component.