The oscilloscope traces in Fig. 1.1 were recorded for four musical notes using exactly the same oscilloscope settings throughout. Which trace represents the...
Question 1 Report
The oscilloscope traces in Fig. 1.1 were recorded for four musical notes using exactly the same oscilloscope settings throughout. 
Which trace represents the note with the highest pitch?
Answer Details
The pitch of a sound is determined by its frequency: a higher frequency means a higher pitch. On an oscilloscope, frequency is visible as the number of complete cycles that fit into a given horizontal distance. A wave with more cycles packed into the same screen width has a shorter period and therefore a higher frequency.
Examining the four traces (all recorded with the same oscilloscope settings), trace C completes its repeating pattern most frequently across the screen. Its waveform, though complex in shape (indicating a rich musical timbre with harmonics), has the shortest period between repeating features. Trace D, by contrast, barely completes one gentle cycle across the entire screen width, giving it the lowest frequency and therefore the lowest pitch.
The amplitude (height) of the trace relates to loudness, not pitch. Traces can differ in both amplitude and frequency independently.
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