illiifi:lT

The physics of hearing

Learning outcomes The human ear
On completion of this section, you Figure I2.L.1, shows a dtagram of the human ear.
shoutd be able to: The outer ear collects and directs sound waves into the auditory carral. At
r explain how the ear responds to the end of the auditory canal is the tympanic membrane (ear dmm). The
an incoming sound wave sound waves cause the tympanic membrane to vibrate. The middle ear
consists of three tiny bones called the hammeq the anvil and the stirrup.
r understand the significance When the tympanic membrane vibrates, the bones in the middle ear
of the terms sensitivity and vibrate as well. The three bones act like a lever system. They reduce the
f req uency response amplitude of vibration produced on the tympanic membrane. At the same
r state the magnitude of the time, the vibrational pressure on the oval window is increased.
threshotd of hearing The middle ear is connected to back of the throat via the eustachian
r state the intensity at which tube. Under normal conditions, the pressure on both sides of the
d iscomfort is experienced
tympanic membrane is the sanle. When someone ascends in an aucraft,
pressure difference exists on either side of the tympanic mernbrarte
r use the equation for intensity resulting in the ear " popping".
IeveI
The inner ear is filled with liquid. It contains the cochlea, which is
r understand the terms nolse arrd attached to auditory nerve. Inside the cochlea there ate :rrrany tiny hairs
loudness. that run its entire length. These hairs .vary in length, thickness and
stiffness. When the oval window vibrates, the liquid inside the inner ear
vibrates causing the tiny hairs to resonate. The hairs produce electrtcal
signals which are then transmitted via the auditory nerve to the brarn,
anvil
stirrup where they are then interpreted.
hammer

aud itory
Frequency response and intensity
nerve The human ear is able to detect frequencies in the range 20Hz to 20L<812.
tympanic This range is called the frequency response of the ear. As a person gets oldeq
rnembrane ;eustachian tube the upper limit of 20kHz decreases. In the frequency range 60Hz to 1 l<I12,
outer : innen
ear i ear the human ear can detect changes of ZHz to 3 Hz. At frequencies above
m iddt'e ll<L{2, it is difficult for the human ear to detect r*?]1 changes in frequencies"
ear
Intensity is the sound power per unit lI : *astatedfrequency'
Figure 12.1.7 The human ear ^re^ I Aj
The smallest sound intensity that can be detected by the human ear is called
the threshold of hearing. The threshold of hearing is 1.0 x 10-12Wm-2 at a
frequency of 3l<Tlz. The threshold of hearing varies with frequency.
Figure L2.L.2 shows variation of the threshold of hearing with frequenqr of a
certain person. Above the curve represents intensities that canbe detected by
the human ear.Intensities below the curye cannot be detected by the human
ear. The sensitivity of the human ear is the ability to detect the smallest
Eq uation fractional change AI of intensity /. Sensitivity depends on the ratio
+
SensitMty increases with frequency to a maximum and then decreases with
Intensity is the power per unit area
increasing frequency. The maximum sensitiviry is at 1-3l<Itz.
t - *A stated frequency. The human ear can detect a wide range of intensities. The minimum
"ra intensrty that can be detected is 1.0 x 10-12Wm-2 at a frequertcy of 3 L<TIz.
I - intensity/W m-2 The upper limit of the range is 100Wm-2 in the frequency range l kHz to
P power/W 6L<T.12. The upper limit is called the threshold of pain. Persons exposed to
A area/mz intensities of 100W r.rr-2 san experience pain and temporary deafness.
 Chapterl2 The physics of hearing ffi

The logarithmic response of the ear intensity sound

leve[/d B intensity
Equal changes in intenstty arc not perceived as equal changes in loudness. /Wm-2
120 1.0
Loudness is the subjective response of a person to a given intensity. Intensity 100 10 -2
level rrray be used as a measure of loudness. Intensity level is defined using 80 t I 10
*4

the following elluation. Changes in loudness depend on the fractional change 60 \ I 10 -6

\ t 10 -8
in intensity
H. Loudness is a logarithmic response to intensity.
40
20
\ {
10 -10

0 *j 10 -12
Example 10 1Az 103 104 10s
A person with normal hearing is exposed to a sound of frequency 3l<LIz f lfiz
and an intensity level at the ear of 20 dB. Calculate the intensiry of this Figure12.1.2 Variation of threshold of
sound at the ear. hearing with frequency

Intensity level _ 101og,offi)

Eq uation
zo_ 1orog,,(#O=)
lntensity [eve[ = lorog,o[)
los,oF**) 1
Z-t

lntensity levet is measured in dB

I (decibets)
]-x 10{ 100 I - intensity of sound incident on
I_ I x 10-t0wm-2 ear/W m-z
lo - threshold of hearing
(1.0 x 1o-12w r,)
Loudness and noise
Intensity level is defined in terms of the intensity of sound and the
threshold of hearing at a frequency of 3 kF{rz.
Loudness is the subjective response of a person to a given intensity and
depends on the individual and the frequency of the sound.

To define a consistent unit of loudness, a frequency of l kHz is chosen as

a stand ard. The 1 kHz standard source is adf usted until it is perceived as
being as loud as the source being evaluated. Suppose the intensity level of
the 1 kHz standard source is found to be 90 dB when it is as loud as the
test source, then the loudness of the test source is 90phons.
Key points
Example
The intensity of sound measured at a distance of 0.8m from a r The human ear is able to detect
loudspeaker is measured as L.2 x 102Wm-2. Given that the intensity frequencies in the range 20Hzto
'
of sound varies
1 tk distance measured from the
,rhere d is the
20kHz.
^t fu,where r The threshotd of hearing is the
loudspeake4, calculate the intensity of the sound at a distance of 3.0m.
minimum intensity that can be
detected by the ear.
o<&1
The sensitivity of the human
k ear is the abitity to detect the
d2 sma[[est fractionaI change A/ of
intensity /.
L.Zx 102 _ L(0 8)'
Loudness is the subjective
k _ 76.8 response of a person to a given
inte ns ity.
Therefore the intenstty at a distance of 3.0 is given by:
The ear has a logarithmic
I- h_ ffi -8saw',.-z response to sound.