chapter 11: hearing

Question 1

vision

Answer 1

Light photons bouncing off objects and hitting our eyes. Retinal receptors then convert photon
energy to neural energy (transduction)

Question 2

audition

Answer 2

Air pressure changes in the environment are received by outer and middle ear structures. They
pass it onto receptors in the inner ear. These receptors convert mechanical energy (hair cells literally
being pushed by ‘conducted’ sound waves) to neural energy (transduction)

Question 3

periodic waveform

Answer 3

repeating pattern with constant wavelength and frequency

Question 4

fundamental frequency

Answer 4

repetition rate

Question 5

harmonics

Answer 5

multiple of the fundamental frequency of a periodic signal

Question 6

webers law of just noticeable difference

Answer 6

minimum amount of change in a physical stimulus required to detect a difference between one sensory experience and another

Question 7

difference threshold

Answer 7

increases as stimulus becomes more intense

Question 8

what is the human range of hearing ?

Answer 8

20 hz- 20,000 hz

Question 9

tone height

Answer 9

moving higher in frequency

Question 10

tone chroma

Answer 10

notes with the same letter sound similar

Question 11

timbre

Answer 11

the unique quality or “color” of a sound, distinguishing between instruments or voices

Question 12

resonance

Answer 12

reinforcing or prolonging a frequency, due to the
reverberation within the auditory canal

Question 13

resonant frequency of the ear canal

Answer 13

1,000 and 5,000 Hz

Question 14

first ossicle in the middle ear

Answer 14

malleus

Question 15

second ossicle in the middle ear

Answer 15

incus

Question 16

last ossicle in the middle ear

Answer 16

stapes