12/27/2022 0 Comments Define octave![]() ![]() First, the decibel isn’t an absolute measure like an “octave”, it only measures the difference between two levels (in the case of acoustics, of pressure) - when you say a vacuum cleaner is “70dB”, it’s lazy language, understood to mean 70dB louder than some mutually-understood reference – usually, but not always, 20 micropascals. Lovers of music and English will appreciate the distinction.ĭecibel is a unit of measure which applies to the amplitude (loudness) of sound, independent of its pitch.Īctually, no. Note (pun intended) that a sound of any given pitch can be either loud or soft (lots of decibels or few), and a sound at any specific decibel level can be high, low, or multi-pitched. (The division of an octave into 8 notes or tones is a part of culture not dictated by any physical property).ĭecibel is a unit of measure which applies to the amplitude (loudness) of sound, independent of its pitch. “Octave” is not a unit of measure, although frequency is. Specifically, of a pair of tones which are an octave apart, the higher has twice the frequency of the lower. Octave describes a relationship between two notes of different pitch, or frequency. I think you missed the underlying difference between decibel and octave. I was left wanting and frustrated at the lack of explanation to the question asked. Now I’m quite scientifically minded but the explanation of a bel or decibel left a lot to be desired given I don’t know much about how sound is measured. (As Maeve noted, an octave specifically refers to the diatonic scale, which has 8 (hence OCTave) tones. Octave is a measure of the frequency of the sound wave greater frequency = higher pitch. Each bel doubles the amplitude, or volume. It’s also another log function – each ten decibels is twice as loud (as perceived) and each octave is exactly twice the frequency (in Hertz, or cycles per second).ĭecibel is a measure of the amplitude of the sound wave greater amplitude = greater volume. Oh I just see someone clarified the post just above. a high octave note (a T) can have a very small decibel if it’s murmured whereas a low octave note like a do can have a very high decibel if shouted. While “octave” has to do with the whole sound spectrum / range? e.g. Wouldn’t it be much easier to simply say that “decibel ” has to do with volume, it is a measure unit of the sound volume, i.e. 40 dB is ten times the power of 30 dB and 50 dB is one hundred times 30 dB.įor octaves, the La of an octave doubles the frequency of the previous octave (220 Hz, 440Hz, 880 Hz, etc.)įor once I have to say I found that this post less than clear. High decibels are very powerful, while low decibels are much weaker.Īctually they are two logarithmic scales. Think of a chainsaw (high decibels) versus a whisper (low decibels). High-pitched sounds are made by very fast vibrations, while low-pitched sounds are made by slower vibrations.Ī decibel measures volume (how loud or how soft a sound is). High octaves are on the right of the key board, while low octaves are on the left. Think of a piano every eight consecutive white keys (with the interspersing black keys) make up one octave. ![]() In other words, an octave measures pitch (how high or how low the pitch is). How to Punctuate Descriptions of Colors.Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below: NOTE: Although both the OED and Merriam-Webster give db as the abbreviation for decibel, I’ve been informed by a technical writer that the standard abbreviation is dB. In answer to the question, decibel refers to sound, pleasant or unpleasant, whether it originates in the vocal cords or elsewhere. Sounds above 132 db lead to permanent hearing damage and eardrum rupture. Sounds that go above that range become annoying, for example a vacuum cleaner (70 db). The normal speaking range of the human voice is about 20-50 decibels. Think of the Do-re-me song in Sound of Music. A bel isĪ unit, equivalent to ten decibels, used in the comparison of two levels of power in an electrical communication circuit.Īn octave in the musical sense is an interval embracing eight notes of the diatonic scale. “Bel” is a shortening of the name of inventor Alexander Graham Bell (1847-1922). A bel isĪ unit, equivalent to ten decibels used in the comparison of two levels of power in an electrical communication circuit. The words bel and decibel are units of measurement of sound intensity. I’ll just address the uses suggested by the question. Octave derives from the Latin word for “eight” and decibel incorporates the Latin word for “ten.” The words can be used in various contexts. ![]() octave and decible? I am of the opinion, that octave deals with human voice and decible deals with noise.īoth words, octave and decibel are terms of measurement. ![]()
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