5. Amplitude

Amplitude loosely refers to the strength of the waveform (the vertical axis), while more specifically it may refer to the amount of change between the peak positive, or peak negative, value and the zero axis, or to a single instantaneous amplitude at any point of the waveform.

Example 5-1: Adjusting the amplitude of the waveform affects the volume of the sound you hear.

It is possible that the amplitude of one wave can be greater than another, even though the duration of each cycle is the same. The amplitude of a sound contributes greatly to its perceived volume. In general, the greater the amplitude of a wave, the louder you sense the sound to be.