Basic Acoustics

Aims and Learning Outcomes

The aim of this package is to introduce some of the basic concepts of acoustics that you will come across in your Audiology Programme.

After working through these pages you should have a basic level of understanding of:

the decibel scale
Sound intensity and pressure
the inverse square law
Addition of sound intensities

Preknowledge

This package aims to take you through from a basic level. Inevitably though, some degree of mathematical understanding is required, but this should be no higher than GCSE level, although some aspects may take you slightly beyond that.

Reading List

There are a great many books available that cover basic aspects of acoustics, including those of a more general "Hearing Science" or "Audiology" bent. Some that are particularly useful at this level are given below:

Introductory Books

Mullin, W.J., Gerace, W.J., Mestre, J.P. & Velleman, S.L. (2003) Fundamentals of sound with applications to speech and hearing. Allyn & Bacon
Rosen, S & Howell, P. (1991) Signals and Systems for Speech and Hearing . Academic Press.

More Advanced Books

Hartman, W.A. (1997) Signals, Sound, and Sensation. AIP Press.
Haughton, P. (2002) Acoustics for Audiologists. Academic Press.

Other Books with covering this area

Lass, N.J. & Woodford, C.M. (2007) Hearing Science Fundamentals. Mosby.
Yost, W.A. (2006) Fundamentals of Hearing: An Introduction. Academic Press