Final answer:
The difference between the loudest and quietest levels in an audio signal is known as the dynamic range, which is the measure of the variation in sound intensity or amplitude, and is expressed in decibels.
Step-by-step explanation:
The difference between the loudest and the quietest levels of an audio signal is the dynamic range. In terms of wave properties, louder sounds have greater amplitude, leading to higher intensity, which we perceive as greater loudness.
The quietest sound a human can typically hear is identified as the zero point on the decibel scale, which is a measure of sound intensity; while average human speech occurs at around 60 decibels. The dynamic range gives us a quantifiable measure of the variance in volume within a given audio signal.
For example, a sound that is twice as intense as another is 3 dB louder, and a sound that is five times as intense is 7 dB louder. This implies that a higher amplitude corresponds to a higher decibel level, and therefore, to a louder sound. Conversely, a smaller amplitude corresponds to a quieter sound and a lower decibel level.
The difference between the loudest and the quietest levels of an audio signal is the amplitude. Amplitude refers to the dimension of a wave from peak to trough and is related to the volume or loudness of a sound.
Sound waves with greater amplitudes are louder, while those with smaller amplitudes are softer. Volume is measured in decibels (dB), with the zero point representing the softest sound that a human can hear. Humans typically speak at around 60 decibels.