Question

Which characteristic of a sound helps you to identify your friend by his voice while sitting with others in a dark room?

• A. Timbre
• B. Velocity
• C. Medium of propagation
• D. None of these

Answer 1

Answer: (A)

Timbre

The sound waves given off by different vibrating bodies differ in quality or timbre. A note from a saxophone, for instance, differs from a note of the same pitch and intensity produced by a violin or a xylophone; similarly vibrating reeds, columns of air, and strings all differ. Quality is dependent on the number and relative intensity of overtones produced by the vibrating body, and these, in turn, depend upon the nature of the vibrating body.
Sounds may be generally characterized by pitch, loudness, and quality. Sound quality or timbre describes those characteristics of sound which allow the ear to distinguish sounds that have the same pitch and loudness. Timbre is a general term for the distinguishable characteristics of a tone.

Hence, the quality or timbre characteristic of a sound helps you to identify your friend by his voice while sitting with others in a dark room.