7.1 Audition Flashcards
When a tree falls, the tree and the ground ____, setting up sound waves in the air that strike the ears.
vibrate
____ ____ are periodic compressions of air, water, or other media.
Sound waves
Sound waves ____ in amplitude and frequency.
vary
The ____ of a sound wave is its intensity. A bolt of lightning produces a sound wave of great amplitude.
amplitude
____ is a sensation related to amplitude but not identical to it.
Loudness
The ____ of a sounds the number of compressions per second, measured in Hz. ____ is the related aspect of perception. Higher frequency sounds are higher in pitch.
frequency : Pitch
Most adult humans hear sounds ranging from about __Hz to somewhat less than ____Hz.
15 - 20,000
Children hear higher frequencies than adults, because the ability to perceive high frequencies ____ with age and exposure to loud noises.
decreases
Anatomists distinguish the ____ ear, the ____ ear, and the ____ ear.
outer : middle : inner
The outer ear includes the ____, the familiar structure of flesh and cartilage attached to each side of the head. By altering the reflections of sound waves, the ____ helps us locate the source of sound.
pinna
After sound waves pass through the ____ ____, they strike the tympanic membrane, or eardrum, in the middle ear.
auditory canal
The ____ ____ vibrates at the same frequency as the sound waves that strike it.
tympanic membrane
The tympanic membrane connects to 3 tiny bones that transmit the vibrations to the ____ ____, a membrane of the inner ear.
oval window
These bones of the middle ear are sometimes known by their English names (____, ____, and ____) and sometimes by their Latin names (malleus, incus, and stapes).
hammer, anvil, and stirrup
The tympanic membrane is about ____ times larger than the footplate of the stirrup, which connects to the oval window.
20