What does the pinna do when sound enters the ear?
It collects sound waves and directs them along the auditory canal to the eardrum.
AQA A-level Physics (7408) · 3.10.2.1
Revise AQA A-level Physics (7408) specification point 3.10.2.1, Ear as a sound detection system (A-level only), with free active-recall flashcards. Flip through the set or review every question and answer below.
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What does the pinna do when sound enters the ear?
It collects sound waves and directs them along the auditory canal to the eardrum.
What causes the eardrum to vibrate?
Pressure variations in the air.
What are the three ossicles in the middle ear?
The malleus, incus and stapes.
Where do the ossicles transmit vibrations from the eardrum?
To the oval window.
How do the ossicles help transfer vibrations from air to the fluid-filled inner ear?
They increase the pressure applied at the oval window.
What does movement of the oval window cause in the cochlea?
Vibrations in the cochlear fluid.
How do vibrations in the cochlear fluid bend sensory hair cells?
They cause structures within the cochlea to move, bending the hair cells.
What do sensory hair cells convert into electrical signals?
Mechanical movement.
What carries electrical signals from the ear to the brain?
The auditory nerve.