Hearing Flashcards
How is sound caused?
by changes in air pressure
What is amplitude?
- decibels: dB
- related to loudness
What is frequency?
- Hertz: Hz
- related to pitch
What is a phase (in a pressure wave)?
the position within a cycle
What is a pure tone?
- sine wave
- simplest sound wave
What is Fourier analysis?
the process of decomposing complex sounds into their sine wave components
What is the lowest frequency component of a complex sound?
the fundamental
*What are many complex sounds made up of?
harmonics—integer multiples of the fundamental
What are the three main areas of the outer ear?
- Pinna
- External auditory canal
- Eardrum (tympanic membrane)
What is the function of the PInna (outer ear)?
- increases the sound amplitude
- helps determine the direction from which a sound is coming
What is the function of the external auditory canal (outer ear)?
- provides protection
- increase the sound amplitude
What is the function of the eardrum (outer ear)?
- vibrates in response to sound waves
- moves bones in the middle ear
What are the three bones (ossicles) of the middle ear?
Malleus
Incus
Stapes
What are the functions of the ossicles (middle ear)?
transmit vibration of the eardrum into the choclea through lever actions
What does the inner ear consist of?
semicircular canals - sense of orientation
cochlea