Robert Win - Sound

How are we able to hear things?

People are able to hear sound frequencys from 20 - 20,000 Hz using their Ears and the organs within, as well as the Brain. Our outer ears which stick out from the sides of our heads, are like noise cones which receive and channel sounds to travel down the ear canal. When sound reaches the Ear drum, it vibrates the ear-drum, at the frequency of the orginal sound (every sound has a different frequency, unless they are identical sounds). The vibrations are converted by the cochlea, which is a snail like shaped organ which is filled with fluid, into signals which can be sent and read by the brain. The brain then decodes and reads the signals, and that is how we are able to hear things, and distinguish one sound from another.

Information provided by: http://www.wikipedia.com/, http://www.discovery.com/ and http://www.askjeeves.com/