Sound Waves

• Can sound waves travel through solids?

  Yes, they cause vibrations in the solid
• How do we hear sound waves?

  • The sound waves hit the eardrums
  • eardrums vibrate
  • three small bones transmit these vibrations to the cochlea
  • this produces electrical signals which pass through the auditory nerve to the brain, where they are interpreted as sound
• What waves are sound waves?

  Longitudinal
• In a longitudinal wave, the regions where the vibrating particles are closest together are called?

  Compressions
• In a longitudinal wave, the regions where the vibrating particles are furthest apart are called?

  Rarefactions
• What happens when sound waves travel from a less dense medium, to a more dense medium?

  Speed increases
• Rank the speed of sound in the three states of matter in order of fastest to slowest

  Fastest - solids

  Middle - liquids

  slowest - gases
• What pitch do higher frequencies sound waves have?

  Higher
• What is the role of the ear drum?

  Transmit the vibrations of the sound wave to the ossicles
• Label the ear?

  A - Ear drum

  B - Semicircular canals

  C - Ossicles

  D - Cochlea

  
• What is the role of the auditory nerve?

  Transmits the electrical signals from the cochlea to the brain
• Range of human hearing?

  20Hz to 20,000Hz
• What is the role of the cochlea?

  Convert the vibrations into electrical signals