Final answer:
In music, whole steps and half steps are used to describe the distances between notes. A whole step is equal to two half steps, and a half step is the distance between two adjacent notes on a piano. For example, moving from C to the next white key is a half step, while moving from C to the next next white key is a whole step.
Step-by-step explanation:
Musical notes are the basic unit of music and they are combined to generate tunes. In Western music, notes have specific names such as A-sharp, C, or E-flat. When discussing melodies, we often talk about whole steps and half steps. A whole step, also known as a whole tone, is the distance of two half steps.
A half step, also known as a semitone, is the distance between two adjacent notes on a piano, regardless of whether they are black or white keys. For example, if you start on C and move to the next white key, which is C#, you have moved a half step. If you move from C to the next white key, which is D, you have moved a whole step.