If you're in a quiet room and someone blows a horn behind your head, the change in intensity of perceived sound will be very large. If you're at a rock concert and someone blows a horn behind your head, the change in intensity of perceived sound will be small. What does this example illustrate?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This example illustrates Fechner's law, which states that the perceived magnitude of a stimulus is proportional to the logarithm of the stimulus intensity. In this case, the change in perceived sound intensity from the quiet room to the rock concert is not linear, but rather logarithmic. As a result, the change in perceived sound intensity from the horn in each situation will be different, with a much larger change in the quiet room and a smaller change at the rock concert.

If You're in a Quiet Room and Someone Blows a Horn