Hearing system Flashcards
What are soundwaves?
• Soundwaves is energy transduced through the air by compression and rarefraction
What is particle displacement a function of? Describe
o Particle displacement is a function of frequency
Low frequency- significant movement of molecules
High frequency- small movement of molecules in the air
Does density of medium influence how sound propagates?
• Sounds propagates through the air in relation to the density of that medium
What is the speed of sound in air?
o Air- 331 m/s
What is the speed of sound in water?
o Water- 1380 m/s
What is the speed of sound in bone?
o Bone- 2832 m/s
What is period measured in?
o Period (T): seconds
What is wavelength?
o Wavelength (I): metres in 1 cycle
What is phase?
o Phase: 360o= 2π radians
What is pure tone?
Sinusoidal/periodic change in pressure
What is frequency?
o Frequency: Hertz/cycles per second
What is the range of frequency that humans can hear?
Humans can hear 20 Hz-18kHz
What is the perceptual correlate of frequency?
Pitch
What is the nonlinear just noticeable difference concept of sound for frequency?
Nonlinear just noticeable difference (JND)- roughly logarithmic
• If have tone at low Hz range, can tell differences between tones differing from 1 Hz a lot more easily than if tone is at high Hz range
What is amplitude?
o Amplitude-amount by which rarefraction and compression is occurring/power and intensity conveyed by energy wave propagated
What is the perceptual correlate for amplitude?
Loudness?
What range of amplitude that humans can hear?
1:10^6 pressure range for humans
What is the just noticeable difference for sound amplitude? Describe
JND(just noticeable difference) is log10 intensity (I=P2) or dB= 20xlog10(P/Pref) where Pref=20uP (hearing threshold)
• Pref is roughly the average person’s hearing threshold at about 4 kHz (quietest sound that humans can hear)
What does absolute threshold of hearing vary with?
Frequency
Describe the pressure needed to deliver individual frequencies in humans as frequency increases
- Pressure needed to deliver individual frequencies decreases as humans go from 10Hz to 4-5 kHz from about 80dB to 0dB
- As sounds go above 4-5 kHz, increase in sound level dB is needed as absolute threshold increases
What is the absolute threshold of hearing dependent on in humans?
• Highest threshold is dependent on age
o Upper threshold decreases with age
What happens if sound pressure becomes too high?
o If pressure becomes high enough, percept is not one of sound but of pain
o Speech and music are in the middle of threshold of hearing and threshold of pain
Does absolute sound threshold have a linear relationship with frequency?
• Non-linearity of threshold is important
At what frequency are humans most sensitive?
• Humans are most sensitive to sounds around 4-5 kHz