This problem represents a possible (but not recommended) way to code instantaneous pressures in a sound wave into 16-bit digital words. Example 17.2 mentions that the pressure amplitude of a 120-dB sound is 28.7 N/m2. Let this pressure variation be represented by the digital code 65 536. Let zero pressure variation be represented on the recording by the digital word 0. Let other intermediate pressures be represented by digital words of intermediate size, in direct proportion to the pressure.
(a) What digital word would represent the maximum pressure in a 40 Db sound?
(b) Explain why this scheme works poorly for soft sounds.
(c) Explain how this coding scheme would clip off half of the waveform of any sound, ignoring the actual shape of the wave and turning it into a string of zeros. By introducing sharp corners into every recorded waveform, this coding scheme would make everything sound like a buzzer or a kazoo