Exam-style question
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Calculate the number of bytes needed for 30 seconds of mono sound sampled at 22,000 samples per second with a sample resolution of 12 bits. Show each stage of your calculation.
Model answer
What a good answer should say
- Number of samples = 22,000 × 30 = 660,000 samples.
- Total number of bits = 660,000 × 12 = 7,920,000 bits.
- Convert bits to bytes: 7,920,000 ÷ 8 = 990,000 bytes.
- Therefore, the sound requires 990,000 bytes.
Explanation
Why this works
First calculate the total number of samples by multiplying the sampling rate by the duration. Multiply this by the number of bits per sample, then divide by 8 because there are 8 bits in a byte.
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