Hearing+P2+Grace+&+Maddie

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Hearing is the ability to perceive sound by detecting vibrations though the ear. Sound travels as a series of invisible waves of compression and rarefaction in the air (Notebook). The waves move at the speed of 1,130 feet per second, or 770 miles per hour (10FunFacts). (Notebook). By setting air molecules in motion, the sound waves create a frequency that is perceived as a pitch of a sound. The amplitude of the sound wave shows the amount of energy the sound contains. Thus, a sound wave with a larger amplitude, will create a louder noise to the human ear. Sound waves are processed when they collide with the eardrum and, therefore cause the hammer, anvil, and stirrup, known as the auditory ossicles, to vibrate. The ossicles are the smallest bones in the human body; all together they could fit on a penny. The auditory ossicles are attached to a drum head called the oval window, which oscillates to make waves of a fluid substance in the cochlea, a spiral shaped cavity of the inner ear. The sound waves in the fluid are detected by tiny hair cells which generate nerve impulses to be sent to the brain and process sound (Notebook). Over time, particular waveforms and frequencies create different patterns and are processed and recognized as different sounds. The process is similar to learning a visual pattern such as a face or object (Elsea). The ear, like our other bodily senses, has an absolute threshold. The absolute threshold is the minimum sound level of a tone that the average ear with normal hearing can hear with no other sounds present. Studies have found that the absolute threshold of human ears is the tick of a watch twenty feet away in an otherwise silent place (Class Notes). The sensation of loudness is affected by the frequency of a sound. At a low frequency, the range of hearing becomes less sensitive to soft sounds, whereas at high frequencies the change in sensitivity is abrupt and the threshold of pain increases (Elsea). This graph (level of tones in dB spl) shows the subjective loudness of a noise and is measured in Decibels. For example, a whisper is 20 decibels and normal talking ranges from 50-60 decibels. A lawn mower has a decibel of 95, and a jack hammer a decibel of 115. Most sounds over 130 decibels result in ear pain. Our human senses, specifically our ability to hear, are the basic fundamentals of life. It is what we experience through these senses that makes life meaningful. “The impressions we receive through our senses are as much a necessary human nourishment as food and water” (Anstendig). Hearing in particular, enables humans to perform tasks and have experiences that would be impossible to obtain otherwise (Anstendig). Through the different expressive qualities of sound, we learn the various nuances and subteltys of emotion. Ears not only help you hear, but also aid in balance (10FunFacts). Thirty-seven percent of children with only minimal hearing loss fail at least one grade(10FunFacts). Animals in general have a higher absolute threshold, and better sense of hearing than humans. Like us, they use their ears to sense and protect themselves from threats and danger. The ability to hear is still very mysterious to us. Scientists are making rapid advancements, however, and they discover new elements of hearing every year. It is astonishing how much is involved in the hearing process, and even more amazing that such an important aspect of our lives take place in such a small area of our body.

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