How do Humans Produce Sound?
In humans, the sound is produced by the Larynx also known as the soundbox.
The larynx contains two vocal cords. These two cords have a slight slit in the middle for the air to flow in and out. When we speak, the lungs pump the air through this slit which makes these cords vibrate. It is this vibration that produces the sound.
The length of vocal cords differs in males, females and kids. Due to this, the chords vibrate with different frequencies in adults and kids and hence produce different sounds. This is why the voices of an adult and child differ.
How do Humans Hear Sound?
The human ear has something called ‘eardrum’ which acts as a diaphragm. We can think of the eardrum as something like a stretched rubber sheet. When the sound enters the ear canal, it strikes the eardrum making it vibrate. These vibrations are then transferred to the inner part of the ear called the Cochlea.
The cochlea then sends the signal to the brain through the nerves. This is how the human ear works making us hear the sound.
Structure of Human Ear
Humans cannot hear all sounds. A human ear can detect only those sounds whose frequencies range between 20 Hz and 20,000 Hz.
Summary
| Larynx |
|
| Eardrum | Diaphragm in human ear that vibrates due to sound |
| Cochlea | Sends vibrations from eardrum to brain as signals |
Did you know?
There are many animals that can detect sounds of the frequency of more than 20,000 hertz. Dogs can hear sounds with frequencies up to 45,000 Hz whereas some species of bats can hear the sounds of frequencies up to 200 kHz (kilohertz).
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