Representing Sound – Data – GCSE CS

Computers represent audio using digital signals, which are sequences of binary digits (0s and 1s) that represent the amplitude of an audio waveform at a specific point in time. The process of converting an analog audio signal (such as the sound that comes out of a microphone) to a digital signal is called sampling.

During the sampling process, the amplitude of the audio waveform is measured at regular intervals, and the measurements are converted into binary digits. The number of times per second that the amplitude is measured is called the sample rate, and it is measured in hertz (Hz). The most common sample rate for audio recordings is 44.1kHz (44,100 samples per second).

Key Terms

Sample Rate/Interval

Sample rate is the number of times per second that the amplitude of an audio waveform is measured and converted into a digital signal. It is measured in hertz (Hz). The higher the sample rate, the more accurate the digital representation of the audio waveform will be, and the higher the audio quality will be.

Amplitude

The amplitude of an audio waveform refers to the strength or intensity of the sound. It is the height of the waveform, measured from the baseline to the peak. In digital audio, the amplitude is measured and converted into a digital signal using a process called sampling. The higher the amplitude, the louder the sound will be.

Bit Depth

The bit depth refers to the number of bits used to represent each sample of an audio waveform. The higher the bit depth, the more precise the representation of the audio signal will be, and the higher the dynamic range of the audio will be. The most common bit depth for audio recordings is 16 bits, which provides a dynamic range of 96 decibels.

Thanks for reading!!!