The audible spectrum is the range of sounds that we perceive with the ear.
Audible spectrum
The audible spectrum , audible range or tone field , in this framework, encompasses the range of frequencies that a person can hear . At a general level, a young and healthy ear is able to perceive sounds with frequencies between 20 hertz ( Hz ) and 20 kilohertz ( kHz ), although the range is variable.
Speaking in terms of the number of notes, it can be said that there are ten octaves, that is, groups that begin and end on the same note ( from C to C , for example), going through all the semitones ( C sharp / D flat, D sharp / E flat , etc.). We can also talk about a certain range of deeper sounds that humans can perceive through touch , around 4 hertz. For this it is necessary that the amplitude of the sound produces a certain degree of pressure.
As the years go by, hearing capacity decreases; This practically impossible to avoid phenomenon is known as presbycusis . Thus, the audible spectrum of older adults is narrower than the audible spectrum of adolescents. In any case, a subject's auditory system can be damaged if exposed to very loud sounds , thereby reducing their audible range.
That said, we must highlight the importance of taking care of the hearing device. Despite its great usefulness in our lives, it is one of the least attended to, much less than vision, for example. It is not necessary to mention the taste that human beings usually develop in their adolescence for excessively loud music in closed spaces. This may seem tempting at first, but it can also leave an impression on our ears.
Infrasound and ultrasound
Infrasound is acoustic waves with a frequency below 20 Hz , while ultrasound is acoustic waves with a frequency above 20 kHz . Neither infrasound nor ultrasound are part of the human audible spectrum.
It is important to note that people do not have the same audible spectrum as animals. Bats , for example, hear ultrasound, while elephants record infrasound.
Hertz
The term hertz , originating from the German hertz and symbolized Hz , is impossible to avoid in topics such as the audible spectrum or music. This is because it is the unit used to measure the cycles that sound waves travel every second. His name is the surname of the physicist who described how electromagnetic waves propagate, Heinrich Rudolf Hertz , who lived during the second half of the 19th century.
In any case, this unit only received this name in 1930 and three decades later it began to be used instead of cycles per second ( cps ), also affecting their respective multiples: kilocycles , megacycles and gigacycles per second.
It is very important to take care of your hearing to preserve the audible spectrum
In physics, the hertz is used to measure the number of times per second that a wave (electromagnetic or sound) repeats, that a sound vibrates, or that sea waves reach the beach, for example. This means that it focuses on phenomena that repeat themselves in a given time frame.
a company
Audible , on the other hand, is an American company founded in 1995 that is currently a subsidiary of Amazon . This company is dedicated to producing, publishing and marketing podcasts, radio programs, audiobooks and other audio content.