Fechner's law describes the relationship between the physical intensity of a stimulus and its perceived intensity. It states that the perceived intensity of a stimulus increases proportionally to the logarithm of the physical intensity.
Here's an example:
Imagine you're in a dark room and a single candle is lit. Adding another candle will make a noticeable difference in the perceived brightness. However, if you have 100 candles lit and add one more, the difference in brightness will be less noticeable. This is because the perceived intensity of light increases at a slower rate than the physical intensity of the light source.
Other examples:
- Sound: If you're in a quiet room and someone whispers, the sound is easily noticeable. But if you're at a concert, adding one more person's voice will be hardly perceptible.
- Weight: If you pick up a 1-pound weight and then add another 1-pound weight, the difference in weight will be clear. But if you're lifting a 100-pound weight and add 1 pound, the change will be minimal.
In simpler terms, Fechner's law suggests that our perception of changes in a stimulus is not linear but logarithmic. We become less sensitive to changes in a stimulus as its intensity increases.
