Explanation Of A Sound Wave Analysis

Sound is an everyday occurring phenomenon, and sounds are continuously happening in nearly all aspects of ordinary life. In order to for our ears to perceive sound, a number of processes must occur, during which sound energy is converted into mechanical energy (NIDCD, 2013). The outer ear collects the sound; the middle ear transforms the energy of the sound wave into vibrations, and the inner ear then transforms this energy into nerve impulses, which eventually reach the brain (The Human Ear, 1996). Sounds are made from the molecules in the air vibrating and moving, resulting in what are known as sound waves (NIDCD, 2013). In order for sound to travel, the sound waves must travel through a medium. The medium that the sound travels through will affect the ways in which the sound travels, depending on its property of solid, liquid, or gas. The properties of the medium also affect how the sound will travel, affecting elements such as frequency, intensity, time, and so on. Sound travels distinctively through each of these properties, which is why we experience …show more content…
The explanation for this is that while underwater we may not actually be using our eardrums to perceive sound. Sound travels through air conduction on land, which causes our eardrum to vibrate, and send electrical signals to our brain (NIDCH, 2013). Through this air conduction, humans can typically hear frequencies up to around 20,000 Hz, which is minimal to that of what can be perceived underwater through bone conduction. Bone conduction is a process that involves sound traveling through the mastoid bone instead of through vibrations in the eardrum. A study conducted has shown that humans were able to detect sounds up to 200,000 Hz while underwater (NIDCH, 2013)! This gives some insight on why we are still able to hear underwater, even with the excess pressure on our