Which term denotes the acoustic property of audible tones involving different frequencies of a complex wave?

Which term denotes the acoustic property of audible tones involving different frequencies of a complex wave?

• A. Partials
• B. Harmonics
• C. Overtones
• D. Resonances

Answer: (A)

A complex audible tone is made up of several sine-wave components at different frequencies. The set of those component frequencies is described as partials. This term is inclusive, covering the fundamental frequency and all higher-frequency components that shape the tone’s color or timbre. Harmonics are a subset of partials—those partials that are integer multiples of the fundamental. Overtones are similar in everyday speech, referring to higher-frequency components, but the broader, more general term for the collection of all these frequencies is partials. Resonances describe a system’s natural amplification at certain frequencies, not the components of the tone itself. So partials best denotes the acoustic property of a complex wave composed of different frequencies.

A complex audible tone is made up of several sine-wave components at different frequencies. The set of those component frequencies is described as partials. This term is inclusive, covering the fundamental frequency and all higher-frequency components that shape the tone’s color or timbre. Harmonics are a subset of partials—those partials that are integer multiples of the fundamental. Overtones are similar in everyday speech, referring to higher-frequency components, but the broader, more general term for the collection of all these frequencies is partials. Resonances describe a system’s natural amplification at certain frequencies, not the components of the tone itself. So partials best denotes the acoustic property of a complex wave composed of different frequencies.