During a diagnostic hearing test, a pure tone produces a peak pressure variation on a patient's tympanic membrane (eardrum) of 3.2 × 10-3 N m-2. This signal is transmitted through the middle ear, resulting in a peak pressure variation of 9.6 × 10-2 N m-2 in the fluid of the inner ear.
Explain how the anatomical arrangement of the ossicles in the middle ear contributes to this pressure amplification.
The patient's tympanic membrane can be modeled as a flat circular disk of diameter 1.4 cm. The ossicles act as a lever system that increases the force transmitted to the oval window by a factor of 1.3. Calculate the effective area of the oval window, in m2\text{m}^2m2.
14 exam-style questions on AQA A Level Physics Physics of the ear (A-level only), covering Ear as a sound detection system (A-level only), Sensitivity and frequency response (A-level only), and Defects of hearing (A-level only). Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.