Ear Functions
Sound Waves
Wave Interference
Ear Conditions
Misc.
100
Which parts of the ear are involved with balance?
Semicircular canals and vestibular nerve.
100
Draw an image of a wave and label the crests and troughs.
Tops of waves - crests
Bottoms of waves - troughs
100
What kind of waves are sound waves? Draw an image.
Longitudinal waves ll l l llll l lll ll l l l lll l l
100
Timmy got hit really hard in the side of the head during rugby practice. His ear is bleeding, beginning to swell, and appear distorted. What is going on with Timmy's ear?
Timmy has cauliflower ears.
100
What kind of waves are light waves? Draw an image.
Transverse Waves ~~~~~~~~
200
What is the function of the lobule?
To supply blood to the rest of the ear and keep the ear warm.
200
What is amplitude?
BONUS: draw a wave and label amplitude.
The loudness of sound - measured by the height of a wave.
200
What happens when two waves on the same same move towards each other and meet?
BONUS: What kind of wave interference is this?
The two waves' amplitude combines to create a larger wave.
BONUS: Constructive Wave Interference
200
Why do your ears pop when you descend in an airplane?
Because there is a pressure difference between your middle ear and the air outside. (Pressure in the ear is higher than outside resulting in discomfort.)
200
What are possible treatments of ear infections?
Antibiotics, pain-relieving medications, or placement of ear tubes.
300
What are ossicles and their function?
The ear bones: malleus, incus, and stapes
Function: help with conducting sound by vibrating transmitting sound waves/vibrations from the tympanic membrane to the oval window.
300
What is frequency?
BONUS: Draw a wave with high frequency and a wave with low frequency and label them.
The frequency is the number of complete waves passing per second or the number of back and forth vibrations per second.
BONUS:
300
What happens to a wave as it interacts with a free object? Does it stay on the same side or change?
The wave returns on the same side it started on.
300
What is Otitis Externa and why does it occur?
Swimmer's ear - caused by water getting trapped in the external auditory canal and bacteria growing causing pain and discomfort.
300
What is the purpose of cerumen?
To trap incoming dust and microbes and prevent them from penetrating the eardrum.
400
What is the function of the Eustachian tube?
AKA auditory tube that runs from the middle ear to the back of the throat. It ventilates the middle ear and cleans out mucus and unwanted debris. Also helps with pressure differences in the ear to release higher pressure in the tympanic cavity.
400
What is the audible range for human hearing is approximately?
20 Hz-20,000 Hz
400
What happens to a wave as it interacts with a fixed object? Does it stay on the same side or change?
The wave bounces off of the fixed object and returns on the opposite side.
400
How do cochlear implants work?
Cochlear implants provide the sense of sound by stimulating the auditory nerve directly through the cochlea.
400
What is echolocation and how are sound waves used?
Animals use this to navigate their environment and find food. These animals detect reflected sounds waves.
500
Explain how sound waves travel to the brain from a didgeridoo. List each ear parts and the role they play.
Sound waves are first collected and channeled into the external auditory canal by the auricle (pinna) then travels down the 1 in long external auditory canal which bridges the outer and middle ear. Sound waves reach the tympanic membrane and begin to vibrating the ear drum. From the tympanic membrane, the sound vibrations are transferred along the ossicles that vibrate the oval window causing displacement. The vibrations next go through the cochlea where hairs that line the snail-shaped, fluid-filled space detect different frequencies. The hairs that are stimulated send a nerve impulse through the cochlear nerve to the brain.
500
Draw a wave and label the wavelength, troughs, and crests.
500
Draw destructive wave interference - before, when the waves meet, and what they look like afterwards.
500
Trevor went to a metal concert last night and his ears are still ringing (tinnitus). Trevor scored front row tickets, but his ear was right next to the speakers. Ever since the concert, his hearing has been affected. What type of hearing loss does Trevor have and define that type.
Sensorineural hearing loss - a problem occurring in either the inner ear or the auditory nerve, could have been caused by noise damage.
500
What happened during the evacuated bell jar demo to the school bell when air was sucked out of the jar? Why did this happen?
The school bell got quieter because as air was removed, a vacuum was formed. Sound needs a medium for its propagation (to travel through).