| cl | | | | The answer depends on whether youâre |
| People often complain about the volume of TV | | | | talking about volume or loudness. If you define sound in |
| commercials compared to the volume of the actual | | | | physical terms youâre describing volume. The |
| program. And theyâre surprised when I tell | | | | tree falling disturbs the air and creates measurable |
| them that theyâre exactly the same! They | | | | sound waves that have a definite volume. |
| both have a maximum volume (10dB below digital | | | | If you define sound in a physiological sense, |
| zero). Why then are commercials so much louder? | | | | youâre talking about loudness. Loudness |
| First, understand the difference between loudness and | | | | depends on the response in a living creature. For |
| volume. The basic difference can be illustrated with the | | | | example, to a deaf person the tree wouldnât |
| question⦠âif a tree falls in the forest | | | | make a sound, even though they might feel the impact |
| and thereâs no one around, does it make a | | | | of the tree hitting the ground. |
| sound?â | | | | |