Tag Archives: Middle ear

SHORT NOTES ON BASIC CLINICAL SCIENCES–EAR AND HEARING MECHANISM-

Sound is Produced by Vibrations in Matter (Air, Liquids, Solids)

  • Anything which causes matter to vibrate will produce sound
  • Vocal cords vibrate and push on the air flowing through the larynx, causing the air to vibrate
  • Sound cannot travel through a vacuum
  • Sound velocities:
    • Air: 344 meters/sec (770 miles/hr)
    • Water: 1500 meters/sec (3360 miles/hr)
    • Solids: about 5000 meters/sec (11,200 miles/hr)

Pitch is Determined by the Frequency of Vibration

  • We perceive fast vibrations as high pitches, slow vibrations as low pitches
  • When we are young we can hear vibrations from about 20 hertz to about 20,000 hertz