The amplitude or strength of a sense is called:

• A. Duration
• B. Location
• C. Intensity
• D. Modality

Answer: (C)

The strength of a sensation is called intensity. Intensity reflects how strong the percept is, and the brain encodes it by the rate at which sensory neurons fire and by recruiting more receptors when a stimulus is stronger. So a faint touch feels weak, while a firm pinch feels much stronger because the sensory signaling is more intense. This is distinct from how long the sensation lasts (duration), where on the body it is felt (location), or what kind of sensation it is (modality, such as touch, temperature, or pain).