Tutorial 3

Question 1

How does the human ear work?

Answer 1

• Sound is captured in the pinna and is funnelled to the auditory canal, causing the eardrum to vibrate
• the ossicles (stirrup, anvil and hammer) transfer the vibration to the cochlea, where the organ of Corti translates sound into nerve impulse.
• the nerve impulses are transferred along the auditory nerve to the brain
• lower frequencies travel further up the cochlea, allowing the combination of the cochlea, organ of corti and brain to be sensitive to frequency

Question 2

what is the approx. range of human hearing?

Answer 2

20 Hz - 20 kHz

Question 3

Suggest three ways to alter the amount of reflected sound in a room

Answer 3

• reflectors -> flat, large hard surfaces
• absorbers -> soft surfaces
• diffusers -> rough surface, disperses in all directions