If the signal is complex and comprised of a multitude of fundamentals, there can also be harmonics for each and every one. The second and third harmonics for this fundamental would be 2kHz and 3kHz. This can be demonstrated by starting with a signal of 1000 cycles per passing second (1kHz). A third harmonic would have a frequency three times as high as f1, and so on. For a signal whose fundamental frequency is referenced as f1, the second harmonic would have a frequency twice as high, ie: two times f1. Harmonics can be even and odd ordered, and often cover a wide upward bandwidth. Commonly abbreviated as H.D, a harmonic is an additional signal whose frequency is an integral whole-number multiple of the frequency of a fundamental (input) reference signal. This behavior is characterized by multiples of the input signal(s) which were not present in the original input waveform. Harmonic Distortion is a non-linear behavior occurring not only within the world of electronics, but among acoustic phenomenon as well. This paper is continued from the introduction to Understanding Distortion: A Look At Electronics.

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