Hearing: the human ear and auditory ranges
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Explainer Video
Summary
Hearing: the human ear and auditory ranges
In a nutshell
Your ears are designed to detect sound by converting vibrations to electrical signals to be sent to your brain. Humans are able to hear sound waves of frequencies between and . Ultrasound waves are of frequencies higher than , and can be heard by some animals.
Ears
Human ears are able to detect sound waves due to a simple system in them. The vibrations of the air around them travel through the ear canal and interact with the eardrum. The eardrum is connected to three small bones called the ossicles, which pass vibrations to the cochlea. The cochlea converts these vibrations to an electrical signal and sends it through the auditory nerve to the brain.
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| Ear Canal | A tube which carries the sound waves from the outer ear to the inner ear. It contains ear wax which helps keep out infections and traps dirt. |
| Eardrum | A thin piece of skin which vibrates when sound waves are absorbed by it. |
| Ossicles | Made up of the anvil, the hammer and the stirrup. These are small, fragile bones that carry vibrations. |
| Cochlea | Converts vibrations from the ossicles to an electrical signal that the brain can process. |
| Auditory Nerve | Sends the electrical signal to the brain for processing. |
Human ears are designed to hear frequencies between and . The pitch of a sound wave is very low, and the pitch of a sound wave is very high. As they get older, humans may start to lose the ability to hear the higher pitches.
Ultrasound waves
Definition
Sound waves with a frequency higher than .
This frequency is outside the range of human hearing but can be heard by some animals, such as bats and dolphins. Ultrasound has uses in medicine, as it can produce images of the inside of the body. This makes it useful for pregnancy scans. It can also be used for cleaning and physiotherapy.
FAQs - Frequently Asked Questions
What animals hear ultrasound?
This frequency is outside the range of human hearing but can be heard by some animals, such as bats and dolphins.
What frequencies can humans hear?
Human ears are designed to hear frequencies between 20 Hz and 20,000 Hz. As you get older, you may start to lose the ability to hear the higher frequencies.
How hearing work?
1. The vibrations of the air around us travel through the ear canal and interact with the eardrum. 2. The eardrum is connected to three small bones called the ossicles, which pass vibrations to the cochlea. 3. The cochlea converts these vibrations to an electrical signal and sends it through the auditory nerve to your brain.