Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM


Top Flashcards (Certified)
All Flashcards

SENSATION AND PERCEPTION > Hearing: Sound and the Ear > Flashcards

Hearing: Sound and the Ear Flashcards

1
Q

physical definition of sound:

A

sound is pressure changes in the air (or other medium)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

perceptual definition of sound:

A

sound is the experience we have when we hear

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

sound waves travel at a particular __

A

speed

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

sound waves travel at a particular speed that depends on:

A

the medium

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Speed of sound through air is

A

~ 340
meters/second

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Speed of sound through water

A

~ 1500
meters/second

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Physical qualities of sound waves: Amplitude (or Intensity)

A

The
magnitude of displacement
(increase or decrease) of a sound
pressure wave

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

The physical quality of sound perceived as loudness:

A

Amplitude or Intensity

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Frequency

A

For sound, the number of times per
second that a pattern of pressure repeats.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Hertz (Hz):

A

A unit of measure for frequency. One
Hz equals one cycle per second

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Decibel (dB):

A

A unit of measure for the physical
intensity of sound

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Decibels define:

A

the difference between
two sounds as the ratio between two
sound pressures

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

dB = 20 log(p/po), where

A

p is the measured sound pressure (in
micropascales, µPa)
po is the reference pressure (20µPa - pressure of
1000Hz tone at absolute threshold)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Each 10:1 sound pressure ratio equals

A

20 dB

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Each 100:1 ratio equals

A

40 dB

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Waveform:

A

how the air pressure changes over
time. Differences in waveform are perceived as
differences in timbre

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

Timbre:

A

change in the ‘quality’ of sound

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

simple wave form is associated with a _ tone

A

pure

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

complex waveform associated with a _ tone

A

complex

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

Humans can hear:

A

Across a wide range of sound
intensities

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

Humans can hear across a wide range of sound intensities.
Ratio between faintest and loudest sounds is more than

A

1:1,000,000

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

In order to describe differences in amplitude, sound
levels are

A

measured on a logarithmic scale, in decibels
(dB)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

Relatively small decibel changes can correspond to

A

large physical changes

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

Human hearing uses a
limited range of what freqeuncies and what pressure levels (2):

A

-frequencies (20 to
16,000Hz)
-sound
pressure levels (-5 to
130dB)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
One of the simplest kinds of sounds:
Sine waves, or pure tone
26
Sine wave:
The waveform for which variation as a function of time is a sine function
27
_ are not common in everyday sounds because not many vibrations in the world are so pure
Sine waves
28
Most sounds in the world are
complex sounds
29
all sound waves can be described as
some combination of sine waves
30
complex sounds are best described as
a spectrum that displays how much energy is present in each of the frequencies in the sound
31
Harmonic spectrum:
Typically caused by a simple vibrating source (e.g., string of a guitar, or reed of a saxophone)
32
Fundamental frequency:
The lowest-frequency component of a complex periodic sound
33
Timbre:
The psychological sensation by which a listener can judge that two sounds with the same loudness and pitch are dissimilar
34
Timbre quality is conveyed by
harmonics and other high frequencies
35
Sounds are first collected from the environment by
the pinnae
36
Sound waves are funnelled by
the pinnae into the ear canal (3 cm).
37
Sound waves are funneled by the pinnae into the ear canal (3 cm). this helps
localize sound
38
The length and shape of the ear canal
enhances certain sound frequencies (between 2,000 and 5,000 Hz)
39
Tympanic membrane:
The eardrum; a thin sheet of skin at the end of the outer ear canal. Vibrates in response to sound.
40
Tympanic membrane is
border between outer and middle ear
41
Tympanic membrane consists of three ossicles (bones), that
amplify and transmit sounds to the inner ear
42
Tympanic membrane consists of three ossicles (bones), that amplify and transmit sounds to the inner ear:
(1) Malleus (hammer) (2) Incus (anvil) (3) Stapes (Stirrup)
43
Malleus (hammer) -
moves due to the vibration of the tympanic membrane
44
Incus (anvil)
transmits vibrations of malleus
45
Stapes (Stirrup)
transmit vibrations of incus to the inner ear via the oval window of the cochlea
46
Amplification provided by __ is essential to our ability to hear faint sounds
the ossicles
47
Ossicles have __ that work like levers to amplify sounds
hinged joints
48
The __ has a smaller surface than the __, so sound energy is concentrated
The stapes has a smaller surface than the malleus, so sound energy is concentrated
49
the inner ear consists of: __ chambers
fluid filled chambers (it takes more energy to move liquid than air)
50
The ossicles are also important for
loud sounds
51
Two muscles in the middle ear that decrease ossicle vibrations when tensed
Tensor tympani and stapedius
52
Muffle loud sounds and protect the inner ear
Tensor tympani and stapedius (Two muscles in the middle ear that decrease ossicle vibrations when tensed)
53
Tensor tympani and stapedius (2):
(1) Two muscles in the middle ear that decrease ossicle vibrations when tensed (2) Muffle loud sounds and protect the inner ear
54
acoustic reflex follows onset of loud sounds by 200 ms, so
cannot protect against abrupt sounds (e.g., gun shot)
55
Fine changes in sound pressure are translated into
neural signals
56
Cochlea:
Spiral structure of the inner ear containing the organ of Corti. Is filled with watery fluids in three parallel canals
57
Is filled with watery fluids in three parallel canals
Cochlea
58
Spiral structure of the inner ear containing the organ of Corti.
Cochlea
59
Tympanic canal:
Extends from round window at base of cochlea to helicotrema at the apex
60
Vestibular canal:
Extends from oval window at base of cochlea to helicotrema at the apex
61
Middle canal/Cochlear duct:
Sandwiched between the tympanic and vestibular canals and contains the cochlear partition
62
Cochlear canals separated by:
membranes
63
Cochlear canals separated by membranes (2) :
(1) Reissner’s membrane (2) Basilar membrane
64
Reissner’s membrane:
Thin sheath of tissue separating the vestibular and middle canals in the cochlea
65
Basilar membrane:
Plate of fibers that forms the base of the cochlear partition and separates the middle and tympanic canals in the cochlea
66
Organ of Corti:
A structure on the basilar membrane of the cochlea that is composed of hair cells and dendrites of auditory nerve fibers
67
Movements of the cochlear partition are translated into neural signals by
structures in the organ of Corti
68
Hair cells:
Cells that support the stereocilia which transduce mechanical movement in the cochlea and vestibular labyrinth into neural activity sent to the brain stem. Some hair cells also receive input from the brain
69
Hair cells:
arranged in four rows that run down length of basilar membrane
70
Inner hair cells: %
5%
71
Inner hair cells
Convey almost all information about sound waves to the brain (using afferent type I fibers)
72
Outer hair cells %
95
73
Outer hair cells
Receive information from the CNS and are involved in an elaborate feedback system (amplify and sharpen responses).
74
Tectorial membrane:
A gelatinous structure, attached on one end, that extends into the middle canal of the ear, floating above inner hair cells and touching outer hair cells
75
Vibrations cause
displacement of the tectorial membrane, which bends stereocilia attached to hair cells and causes the release of neurotransmitters
76
Stereocilia:
Hairlike extensions on the tips of hair cells in the cochlea that initiate the release of neurotransmitters when they are flexed
77
The tip of each stereocilium is connected to the side of its neighbor by a tiny filament called
a tip link
78
Stereocilia regulate
the flow of ions into and out of hair cells (Part 1)
79
Coding of amplitude and frequency in the cochlea ▪ Place code:
Tuning of different parts of the cochlea to different frequencies, in which information about the particular frequency of an incoming sound wave is coded by the place along the cochlear partition with the greatest mechanical displacement
80
The cochlea is like
an acoustic prism in that its sensitivity spreads across different sound frequencies along its length
81
Stereocilia regulate the flow of ions into and out of hair cells: 2 steps:
(1) As stereocilia bend, tension increases on tip links (2) tip links pull open channels in stereocilia, letting ions enter the hair cells
82
at thinner, wider, more flexible apex of basilar membrane:
low frequency pressure waves cause greatest displacement
83
in middle portion of basilar membrane, __ pressure waves cause greatest displacement
midfrequency
84

SENSATION AND PERCEPTION (12 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions