Assignment - Infographics - 130

A Note on What Makes This an Infographic

Listing pitch, loudness, and quality with one-line definitions is a glossary. An infographic makes each characteristic visible and meaningful. For each one, your reader should understand: what property of the wave produces it, how it is measured, what it sounds like in real life, and what changes when this characteristic changes. Show the wave shapes. Use real numbers. Give examples from everyday sound.

Objective

Create a narrative infographic in Canva that explains the three main characteristics of sound - pitch, loudness, and quality (timbre) - using wave diagrams, measurement units, and real-life examples for each.

Content to Cover

Characteristic 1: Pitch

• What it is: How high or low a sound seems to the listener.
• What determines it: Frequency - the number of vibrations per second, measured in Hertz (Hz). Higher frequency = higher pitch.
• Wave diagram: Show two waves side by side - one with closely packed cycles (high frequency, high pitch) and one with widely spaced cycles (low frequency, low pitch).
• Real examples: A whistle produces a high-frequency sound (around 2,000-4,000 Hz). A man’s speaking voice is typically 85-180 Hz. A woman’s speaking voice is typically 165-255 Hz. A piano covers approximately 27 Hz (lowest note) to 4,186 Hz (highest note).
• Human hearing: We hear pitches from 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz. Above 20,000 Hz is ultrasound; below 20 Hz is infrasound.

Characteristic 2: Loudness

• What it is: How intense or strong a sound is - what we perceive as volume.
• What determines it: Amplitude - the size of the pressure variation in the wave. Larger amplitude = louder sound.
• Wave diagram: Show two waves of the same frequency - one with large amplitude (loud) and one with small amplitude (quiet).
• Measurement: Loudness is measured in decibels (dB). Include a reference scale:
  • 10 dB: Rustling leaves
  • 30 dB: Whisper
  • 60 dB: Normal conversation
  • 85 dB: Heavy traffic (prolonged exposure causes hearing damage)
  • 120 dB: Concert or thunderclap
  • 140 dB: Jet engine at close range (painful)

Characteristic 3: Quality (Timbre)

• What it is: What makes two sounds of the same pitch and loudness still sound different. A guitar and a flute playing the same note at the same volume sound different - this difference is timbre.
• What determines it: The mixture of overtones (harmonics) produced alongside the fundamental frequency. Every instrument or voice produces a unique pattern of overtones.
• Wave diagram: Show two waves of the same frequency but different shapes (one smooth sine wave, one with a more complex shape) to illustrate that the waveform differs.
• Real examples: The same note played on a sitar, a harmonium, and a human voice all sound different. Each instrument has a distinctive timbre that lets us identify it.

Design in Canva

• Three sections, one per characteristic.
• Each section: a heading, a wave diagram, the determining factor, the measurement unit where applicable, and real-life examples.
• Keep wave diagrams consistent in size so the comparisons between high/low frequency and large/small amplitude are immediately visible.
• Use a dark background with bright wave colors - this style works well for sound topics.

Required Elements

• Wave diagrams for pitch (high vs. low frequency), loudness (large vs. small amplitude), and quality (different waveform shapes).
• Decibel scale with at least 5 reference points.
• Real-life examples for all three characteristics.
• Title: “Characteristics of Sound.”