Sound waves & Hearing

• Are sound waves transverse or longitudinal

  Longitudinal
• Region of a longitudinal wave where the particles are closest together

  Compressions
• How does the density of the medium its travelling through affect the speed of a sound wave?

  They travel more quickly through more dense mediums
• Regions of a longitudinal wave where the particles are furthest apart

  Rarefactions
• How does the frequency of a sound wave affect how it sounds

  The higher the frequency, the higher the pitch
• How does the amplitude of a sound wave affect how it sounds

  The higher the amplitude, the louder the sound
• Can sound waves travel through a vacuum?

  No because longitudinal waves rely on vibrating particles to travel. In a vacuum there are no particles that can vibrate so the sound waves can’t be transmitted
• Role of the ear drum

  Transmit the vibrations of the sound waves to the ossicles
• Role of the cochlea

  To convert the vibrations into electrical signals
• Role of auditory nerve

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

  20 Hz to 20,000 Hz
• As people get older what happens to their hearing range.

  As people age their hearing range reduces. This is usually due to damage from loud sounds and general wear and tear