Learn in the textbookDigital Representation of Audio and File Formats
DefinitionWAV is the standard audio file format on Windows, mainly used to store PCM-digitized audio without compression.
ExplanationBecause it is not compressed, no information is discarded, so saving does not change the sound quality, which makes it suitable as material for editing. The trade-off is that the PCM data size becomes almost exactly the file size.
AnalogyIt is like saving a photo exactly as taken, with no resizing or editing.
Memory hookThe name comes from Waveform. Picture a box that holds the waveform just as it is.