PSYC2274 Chapter Notes - Chapter 9: Eardrum, Oval Window, Sound Pressure
Document Summary
Deafness deprives you of the most fundamental of human abilities: communication. It is easy to take hearing for granted. through speech. Without hearing, the world is a more dangerous place. Many fundamental principles in hearing apply to all of the senses. This vibration causes pressure changes in the medium. The initial amount of pressure change is dispersed over a larger and larger area as the wave moves away, so the wave becomes less prominent as it moves farther from its source. Sound waves travel at a particular speed (depending on the medium)! Speed of sound through air is about 340 meters per second. Speed of sound through water is about 1500 meters per second. Basic qualities of sound waves: frequency and amplitude. Sound waves are simply fluctuations in air pressure across time. Magnitude of the pressure change (the difference between the highest pressure area and the lowest) is called the amplitude or intensity of the wave.
