What are overtones also referred to as?

Overtones are commonly referred to as harmonics because they are higher frequency sound waves that occur at integer multiples of a fundamental frequency. When a vibrating object, such as a string or column of air, produces sound, it does so at a primary frequency known as the fundamental frequency. The accompanying sound waves that vibrate at whole-number multiples of this primary frequency are the overtones or harmonics. For example, if the fundamental frequency is 100 Hz, the first overtone would be at 200 Hz, the second at 300 Hz, and so on. This relationship is crucial for understanding the tonal qualities of sound, as harmonics contribute to the richness and timbre that we perceive in music and speech.

The other terms listed do not accurately describe overtones. Fundamental frequencies refer specifically to the lowest frequency of a sound, while spectra describe the distribution of frequencies within a signal. Fourier analyses involve breaking down signals into their constituent frequencies but do not directly refer to overtones.