Audible sound

One speaks of auditory sound when the frequency (pitch) and pressure (alternating pressure, amplitude) of the vibrations are within the perception range of the human ear. Frequency and sound pressure are therefore the most important characteristics of sound vibrations.

 

For the frequency range of human hearing, the lower limit is 16 Hz and the upper limit is 20 kHz. Individual differences are great, and with increasing age the upper limit drops significantly. Sound processes below 16 Hz are referred to as infrasound or they are counted as vibrations. At 20 kHz, the area of the ultrasound borders on the audible area. The frequency range above 1 GHz is called hypersonic. The technical disciplines of acoustics are limited to sub-areas of the listening area. These are the ones that are of the greatest importance for the sound processes and their perception and that can also be well controlled by measurement.