title: Fundamentals of Sound with Applications to Speech and Hearing
author: William J. Mullin
description: Fundamentals of Sound with Applications to Speech and Hearing presents a clear and precise treatment of the physics of sound while using a level of math suitable for readers in the speech, language, hearing, and health sciences. This book provides the reader with an understanding of the science of sound. Simple mathematics, graphics, and qualitative descriptions are demonstrated to explain wave concepts, spectrograms, intensity and decibels. Concepts are applied to the physics of speech and hearing. Speech pathologists, communication disorders specialists
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  **CHAPTER 1**
  
  
  **What Is Sound? Seven**
  
  
  **Important Characteristics**
  
  
  **1**
  
  
  **In this Chapter:**
  
  
  **What Is Sound? 1**
  
  
  [Wavelength 9]()
  
  
  [**Seven Characteristics of Sound 2**]()
  
  
  [Harmonics 10]()
  
  
  [Amplitude 3]()
  
  
  [Envelope 12]()
  
  
  [Frequency 4]()
  
  
  [**Other Periodic Waveform Types 13**]()
  
  
  [Phase 7]()
  
  
  [**Noise 14**]()
  
  
  [Velocity 8]()
  
  
  Learning the craft of audio engineering is like learning a foreign language. A
  new language may be intimidating and difficult at first, but with time and
  dedication, a vocabulary is built. Soon words turn into phrases and phrases
  turn into full sentences. This chapter will cover details of a sound wave and
  explore some of the language of audio. You will be fluent in no time!
  
  
  **WHAT IS SOUND?**
  
  
  Sound is a vibration or a series of vibrations that move through the air.
  Anything that creates the vibrations, or waves, is referred to as the source.
  The source can be a string, a bell, a voice, or anything that generates 