How Your Ears Work

There are 3 parts to your ear Outer Ear Middle ear Inner Ear

Outer Ear The parts we can see as well as the ear canal. They act as a funnel to catch sound waves and direct them. Pinna: the visible part of the ear that resides outside of the head.

Middle Ear This is a small air- filled space on the inside of the eardrum. There are 3 tiny bones called ossicles called the hammer, anvil, and stirrup. These bones are named for their appearance.

When the sound waves vibrate the eardrum the vibrations are passed on to these bones. The hammer is touching the eardrum so it shakes when the sound come through, and the movement goes right through the anvil to the stirrup, which is touching the window of the cochlea.

Inner Ear The cochlea has fluid in it, which moves due to the vibrations and bends hairs on the outside of cells lining the cochlea. There are about 17, 000 hair cells in each ear. The hair cells create an electrical impulse which is sent to the auditory nerve and on to the brain.

Ear animation Frequency Range Test Sound above the hearing range is known as ultrasound, and that below the hearing range as infrasound. Sonic Booms:

Pressure Changes

Echolocation Sperm Whale vs Giant Squid

Answer Card Questions Which part of the ear can be seen from the outside? A. AnvilB. StirrupC. CochleaD. Pinna Which bone of the ear touches the ear drum? A. AnvilB. StirrupC. HammerD. Cochlea The Stirrup sends sound waves to: A. AnvilB. HammerC. PinnaD. Cochlea Which of the following sound waves would be difficult for some to hear? A. 400 HzB HzC HzD. 18,000 Hz Which of the following mean BELOW what the human ear can detect? A. InfrasonicB. UltrasonicC. SupersonicD. Transonic