Sound Waves and Ear Structure

Front

What are sound waves?

Back

Sound waves are vibrations that travel through a medium (like air, water, or solids) and can be heard when they reach a person's or animal's ear.

Front

What is the medium for sound waves?

Back

The medium is the substance through which sound waves travel, such as air, water, or solids.

Front

Can sound waves travel through outer space?

Back

No, sound waves cannot travel through outer space because there is no medium (air or other substance) in space.

Front

What is the ear canal?

Back

The ear canal is a tube that connects the outer ear to the eardrum, allowing sound waves to travel to the eardrum.

Front

What are the ossicles?

Back

The ossicles are three tiny bones in the middle ear (hammer, anvil, stirrup) that help transmit sound vibrations from the eardrum to the inner ear.

Front

What is the function of the eardrum?

Back

The eardrum vibrates when sound waves hit it, converting sound energy into mechanical energy that can be transmitted to the ossicles.

Front

What is resonance in sound?

Back

Resonance is the phenomenon where an object vibrates in response to the vibrations of another object, amplifying the sound.

Front

What are the three bones in the ear?

Back

The three bones in the ear are the hammer, anvil, and stirrup.

Front

What is the cochlea?

Back

The cochlea is a spiral-shaped structure in the inner ear that converts sound vibrations into electrical signals for the brain.

Front

What is the auditory nerve?

Back

The auditory nerve carries electrical signals from the cochlea to the brain, where they are interpreted as sound.