Sounds physical parameters

And hearing subjective phenomenon

Pr Ag GUEZGUEZ Mohsen

Dr. Aicha LAOUANI

Laboratoire de Biophysique
 Sounds physical parameters

Sound Definition

A Sound is a longitudinal mechanical vibration that spread into matter. Sounds are the audible part
of acoustic vibration spectrum.

So sound or audible waves are acoustic waves, with :

20 Hz < F < 20 000 Hz

20 Hz 20 KHz

infrasounds sounds Ultrasounds

Sounds Classification

Pure sounds

Periodic sounds

Noise
 Sounds Classification

Pure Sounds

Sinusoidal vibratory mecanical wave

x
T
a
t

Equation : x = a. sint  = 2N

Period T, Frequency N (N=1/T)

Amplitude a
 Sounds Classification

Pure Sounds
x
T
a
t

Frequency N : give to sound the character high or low pitched sound

x
N low : low pitched sound N high : high pitched sound

t t

Bass treble
 Sounds Classification

Pure Sounds
x
T
a
t

Amplitude a : sound intensity low / intense

x

t t
Sounds Classification

Pure Sounds

Periodic Sounds

Noise
 Sounds Classification

Periodic sounds
I

Periodic sound intensity variation related to time

Musical Sound
amplitude
Amplitude spectrum of a synthetic violin musical note ‘do’ at 262 Hz
dB
F0

3F0
2F0
4F0

262 514 776 1028 F (Hz)

Sounds Classification

Pure Sounds

Periodic Sounds

Noise
 Sounds Classification

Noise

Non periodic sound intensity variation

 Pure sound propagation

Propagation celerity

In air, at 20°C, C = 343 m/s

In water, at 25°C, C = 1500 m/s

Wave length

c
  cT 
N
 Pure sound propagation

Acoustic power and Acoustic power levels

P
W ( Watt / m2 )
s
10-12 Watt/m2  W  1 Watt/m2

W p
I (dB )  10 log  20 log
W0 p0

0 dB  I  120 dB
 HEARING SUBJECTIVE PHENOMENON
SOUND SENSATION

Needs an active patient cooperation.

Correspond to the sensations felt by person after sound wave stimulation.

Render the sound physiologic parameters

3 parameters

Pitch Intensity or Loudness Timber

tone Sone - phone Harmonics

 HEARING SUBJECTIVE PHENOMENON

Psychologic parameters

Pitch Intensity, loudness Timbre

Hauteur ou Tonie Sonie ou Sonorie Timbre

Frequency Acoustic power Frequency Spectrum

ou
Low pitched / High pitched I (dB) Harmonics
Bass / Treble

Physicals parameters
 PITCH OR TONE

Definition

Pitch Is a physiologic parameter related to the sensation

low or high pitched given by a sound
Pitch is perceived as how "low" or "high" a sound is

Audible frequency intervall

The audible intervall is between

de 20 to 20.000 Hz

In young and normal human person.

 PITCH OR TONE

Frequency differential threshold

H1 is Pitch sensation given by sound 1 (frequency N1)

Matches withà
correspond
N1        H1
H1 H1 = H2
+N1
Matches with
correspond à
N1  N2
N 2  N1  N1   
 H 2
But
+N2 H2
200 Hz < N < 10.000 Hz
Matches with
correspond à
N 3  N 2  N 2   
 H 3 N1 N 2

N1 N2
 PITCH OR TONE

Frequency differential threshold

N
N

N 1
 Normal ear
N 80
N 1
 Musical ear
N 1000
1
80

N(Hz)
20 200 10K 20K

Acoustic Weber’s law

 PITCH OR TONE
Units

In physics :

Unit of tone is the mel

The mel is defined as :

The sensation given by a 40dB of a 1000Hz Sound

Is equal to 1000 mels

Sensation in mels are attributed to different frequencies (arbitrary)

Hz 20 160 394 670 1000 1420 1900 2450 3120 4000 5100 6600 9000 14000
mel 0 250 500 750 1000 1250 1500 1750 2000 2250 2500 2750 3000 3250
 PITCH OR TONE
Units
In music

The octave

One octave is the sensation difference between two sounds with N2/N1 = 2
N1
H1  H 2  k  Log
2  N1
In practice

Do Ré Mi Fa Sol La Si Do

Exemple : the pitch difference between a 1000Hz and a 500 Hz sounds

with the same acoustic power.

 PITCH OR TONE

Units
N
One octave correspond to 1
N

Other unit : the Savart

One octave ≈ 300 savarts.

The Savart is a H that correspond to

N 1

N 300
The Comma is a H that correspond to
N 1

N 80
 LOUDNESS OR INTENSITY
(Sonie ou Sonorie)
Definition

Loudness is the subjective perception of sound pressure or intensity.

In simple terms,
is to attribute an auditory sensation that permit to order sounds from quiet to loud
Absolute threshold

The absolute threshold is the minimum sound level that can be heared
It correspond to the basement acoustic power.

Depends on frequency
 Absolute threshold
W watt/m2 I dB

1 120 x x x x x x x Painfull
x x x threshold

10-8 80 AiChamp
re de coauditif tonal Absolute
nversat x threshold
i on
x
x
x x
x
x
10-12 0 N
x x
20 100 1000 x 5.000 10.000 20.000

Wegel diagramm, giving the absolute threshold audible

related to frequency N
 LOUDNESS OR INTENSITY

Power level differential threshold

The absolute acoustic power differential threshold is the

smallest acoustic power difference ΔW that lead to a just
different loudness sensation.
According to acoustic Weber law and for a defined frequency

W
 cte
W
Let S be the unitary loudness sensation level, S = cte for a defined frequency

W W W
S  k 
W
  S   k  W  S  k  Log10
W0
 LOUDNESS OR INTENSITY

Power level differential threshold

k W
S 10  Log10 S  k 'I (dB)
10 W0

The Loudness (S) is proportional to I(dB)

For 1000 Hz
S=I
 LOUDNESS OR INTENSITY
Loudness Unit, iso-sonic curves

Loudness unit is
Phone / Sone

For 1000 Hz
S(phone) = I(dB)
Same value but different units
A 1000 Hz sound is the reference sound

For others frequencies, 0 phone is the minimum audible

The absolute threshold curve is the zero phone curve
 Equal loudness curves
I dB

120 x x x x x x x x x x

80 x 80 phones 20 phones
x
x x 0 phones
x x 60 phones
x x x
x x x 40 phones
x x
x x 20 phones x
x x
0 x x N
20 1000 x 5.000 20.000

Lets try to find the acoustic power level giving the same loudness feeling
than 20 phones of 1000Hz for others frequencies.
 Equal loudness curves

I dB S phone

120 120

80
80
60
40
20

0 0 N
1000 5.000 20.000
 THE TIMBRE

Definition

The timbre is perceived as the quality of different two complex

sounds with the same pitch and loudness,
but with different frequency spectrum.

Our ear performs a real frequency analysis

This phenomenon starts in the inner ear and ends in the
related acoustic pathways.
OTHERS SUBJECTIFS PHENOMENON

SUBJECTIVE SOUNDS

MASKING EFFECT

HEARING FATIGUE

BINAURAL HEARING AND AUDITORY ORIENTATION

 SUBJECTIVE SOUNDS
If we hear a pure sound (frequency N), with high acoustic
power level

The subject perceave
this sound (frequency N)
+
The first harmonics ( 2N, 3N, 4N, … )

If we hear two pure sounds (frequency N1 and N2)


The subject perceave in addition

Sounds with frequencies (N1+N2) and (N1–N2)

 SUBJECTIVE SOUNDS

Beat Effect

If we hear two pure sounds with close frequenciesN1 and N2


The subject will perceave a sound with a frequency equal to
(N1+N2)
2
but with oscilating amplitude
1000Hz

1002Hz

1000Hz
+
1002Hz
 MASKING EFFECT

If we hear simultaniously
Two sounds with different frequencies

The loudest will cover the other sound

This is the masking effect

Low pitched sounds tend to mask high pitched sounds

The masking effect is more important for loud sounds.
 2000 Hz

+
500 Hz

2000 Hz
+
500 Hz
 HEARING FATIGUE
The hearing fatigue will appear after exposure to an intense sound

Leads to a transient increase of the hearing threshold

This phenomenon affects sounds with a frequency > tiring sound

Tiring sounds : low pitched sounds

This fatigue leads to a perception deafness

Lesion in the organ of corti

 BINAURAL HEARING

Permit

To decrease the hearing threshold 3 to 6 dB in comparaison

with monoral hearing

To localise the sound source in space using :

The intensity difference for high pitched sounds (N > 3000 Hz)
The phasis difference for low pitched sounds (N < 800 Hz)
Thanks for your attention