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i'm confused because some websites I've seen they are not the same, while my textbook says they're the same, and I'm trying to find the distinction between amplitude, loudness and volume.

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  • $\begingroup$ It, quite literally, depends on the context. $\endgroup$ Commented Jul 20 at 15:28

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The terms are related, but they are certainly not the same.

The peak amplitude of a wave is its maximum displacement away from its equilibrium position. This term can be applied to any type of wave, or indeed any periodic motion. Peak amplitude is just one of several measures of amplitude - see this Wikipedia article for more details.

Loudness is a measure of the subjective perception of the amplitude of a sound wave. The same sound wave may sound loud to one person, and not as loud to another person. See this Wikipedia article for more details.

Volume is an ambiguous term that may refer to either amplitude or loudness, depending on context.

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  • $\begingroup$ As a side note, keep in mind that for E-M waves, "loudness" aka power goes as the square of the wave amplitude. $\endgroup$ Commented Jul 20 at 15:31

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