how are we eable to hear things from distinct spots in the room?
2006-09-12 05:33:02 · 7 answers · asked by shotgunsherriffs 3 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Biology
I'm not certain what you're asking, but I'll answer a couple interpretations.
If you're asking how we can hear a sound when we're not facing it, it's because sound does not just travel in a straight line. It also fans out as it goes along. Also, you'll be able to hear an echo as the sound waves ricochet off objects. Usually you're in a small enough area where the echo is indistinguishable from the original sound.
If you're asking why we can tell which direction a sound is coming from, it's because we have two ears. If there is a sound on your right side, you'll here far more of it in your right ear than your left, and vice versa. If the sound is directly in front or behind you, you'll hear it equally (if your hearing is the same on both sides). If the sound is in between, your brain can process how much sound is coming in on each side and from that comparison, you'll be able to tell which direction that sound is coming from.
If you're asking why you can hear a person talking to you on one side and the TV going on the other, then it's because your brain is able to interpret multiple sounds at once, to a point.
2006-09-12 05:42:27 · answer #1 · answered by apnate 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
sound is transmitted by waves of vibration. Say you are standing facing the front of the room and there is a sound coming from the right side of the room; these waves will reach your right ear first, where the vibrations are coded as a particular sound. The waves will reach your left ear too, but after the right ear. That is how your brain knows where the sound came from. Another example is if you are standing in the direction of the side (let's say facing the right wall) where the sound is coming from. The sound waves reach both ears at the same time, so all your brain knows is that the sound came from in front of you or behind you. You will usually turn your head so that one ear is in front and one to the back to determine where the sound came from.
2006-09-12 05:44:28 · answer #2 · answered by kbit03 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's called echolocation. Sound causes very tiny hairs in your ear to vibrate, which sends a signal to your brain which is interpreted as sound. There are a lot of these hairs, and the particular pattern in which each hair is triggered is what enables your brain to know where the sound came from.
2006-09-12 05:41:00 · answer #3 · answered by bhalrog72 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
sound waves travel at the speed of electromagnetic waves. they are waves, mind you, so they spread in all directions. so u'll get a noise from practically all directions.
when a wave reaches ur ear, ur ear drum vibrates with the same frequency as of the source wave and hence the same sound is reproduced. the volume is differentiated by the freq and the wavelength of the wave produced by the source.
2006-09-12 05:39:37 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The sound reaches one ear before the other. The brain is able to interpret this difference in receiving the sound to pinpoint the sound's origin.
2006-09-12 05:40:24 · answer #5 · answered by searchpup 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is called echolocation, and all animals with two ears on different sides of their head use it.
2006-09-12 05:53:33 · answer #6 · answered by finaldx 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because someone makes noise
2006-09-12 05:35:33 · answer #7 · answered by A 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋