Physics Turorial 2: The Physics of Hearing

[Clint DeBoer]

<font color='#000000'>The most important mechanical wave to our everyday lives is sound. So how exactly do we hear? What is the definition of sound? Check out this <a href="http://www.audioholics.com/techtips/audioprinciples/interconnects/PhysicsofHearing.html">informative article</a> written by Mike Duda and understand a little more about the physics of hearing.

[<a href="http://www.audioholics.com/techtips/audioprinciples/interconnects/PhysicsofHearing.html">Article</a>]</font>

<font color='#000000'>Thanks for publishing the article. &nbsp;There's nothing like fundamentals to refresh the masses.

Question: Could you provide a pictoral graph illustrating the 20-20k range, adding voice and musical instruments and where they correspond to the audible spectrum?</font>

[Yamahaluver]

<table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td>hawke : <font color='#000000'>The most important mechanical wave to our everyday lives is sound. So how exactly do we hear? What is the definition of sound? Check out this <a href="http://www.audioholics.com/techtips/audioprinciples/interconnects/PhysicsofHearing.html" target="_blank"> written by Mike Duda and understand a little more about the physics of hearing.

[<a href="http://www.audioholics.com/techtip....Article</a>]</font>
<font color='#000000'>Very lucid informative article. Nicely written so even the non tech person will find it informative. Thanks Mike Duda.

One question though and this one is more biological than physics. Does race have to do anything with sound?

My question is does sound perception differ from one human to another depending on race? I know in food and aroma it does.</font>

<font color='#000000'>I've read somewhere on Audioholics that 140db causes ireperable damage. Which frequencies cause most damage? What is the damage? What is a safe listening level? Is there a graph for (human age/frequencies sensitivity loss)? Best practices to avoid hearing disability on the short and long term?

When I use a decible meter to calibrate the level of each speaker, each speacker has a different tone, so measuring decibles alone will not do the job!!! is the difference significant? What level is ideal to perform this measurements?

Great article

<img src="http://www.audioholics.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'>

Thanks</font>

[Clint DeBoer]

<font color='#000000'>Greater amplitude causes greater loss over less time... And the frequencies involved affect hearing to some point. I would read the above article (if you haven't) and go here (http://enterprise.spawar.navy.mil/spawarpublicsite/pao/nepa/Whales/pdf/doc2-7.pdf).

I believe sustained 130dB will inflict permanent hearing loss.</font>