sound in water

• sound travels in vibrations
• faster vibrations = louder sounds
• 25 vibrations per second = low pitch
• 20000+ vibrations per second = no longer hear sounds
• sound fades with distance
• sound waves reach ear ---> down ear canal --> hit eardrum --> three tiny bones --> cochlea --> tiny hair cells --> cochlear nerve
• three tiny bones are the malleus, incus and stapes
• The outer ear is made of skin and cartilage on the outside and the ear canal
• the middle ear begins at the eardrum and includes the three tiny bones
• the inner ear is where vibrations are changed into the signals that are carried to the brain
• the brain uses previous experiences to interpret signals that have traveled to the brain as voices, music and noises
• having two ears helps us detect which direction sound is coming from via the delay in vibrations reaching either the left or right ear
• because sound travels in pressure waves, it travels faster in more dense mediums such as water
• sound travels roughly 4 times faster in water than it does in air
• in water the faster speed of sound reduces the delay of sound reaching the left or right ear and thus the brain determines the sound as reaching both ears at the same time
• in water it appears that most sound comes from directly overhead
• sound travels in pressure waves, particles vibrate and pass it onto surrounding particles