The contour lines are lines of equal perceived loudness for sounds at different frequencies. Equal Loudness Curve. Modified from Figure 13 of Moore, et al. If people could hear equally well at all frequencies, the contour lines would be flat because the same measured sound intensity would be perceived to be equally loud regardless of the sound frequency. In fact, people do not hear as well at low frequencies. Therefore, the relative sound intensity has to be much greater for a low frequency sound to be perceived to be as loud as a sound at a frequency that we hear well, such as Hertz.
Search for:. Home Science of Sound Sound What is sound? How do you characterize sounds? Amplitude Intensity Frequency Wavelength How are sounds made? What happens when sound pressures are large? Sound Movement How fast does sound travel? Why does sound get weaker as it travels? Sound Spreading Sound Absorption How does sound move?
Reflection Refraction Scattering Reverberation How does sound travel long distances? Sound Measurement How is sound measured? What units are used to measure sound? How are sounds viewed and analyzed?
How is hearing measured? What sounds can people hear? What sounds can animals hear? Sounds in the Sea What are common underwater sounds? How does sound in air differ from sound in water? How do people and animals use sound in the sea? Why do sounds have certain properties? How will ocean acidification affect ocean sound levels? How does marine life affect ocean sound levels? How does shipping affect ocean sound levels? Spherical Spreading Propagation from a sound source array in the near field and far field Wave Front Propagation How does sound travel in shallow water?
How does sound travel in very shallow waters? Use of Sound How do marine animals use sound? The human auditory field corresponds to a specific band of frequencies and a specific range of intensities, perceived by our ear. Acoustic vibrations outside of this field are not considered as "sounds", even if they can be perceived by other animals. Human ear perceives frequencies between 20 Hz lowest pitch to 20 kHz highest pitch. All sounds below 20 Hz are qualified as infrasounds , althought some animals ex.
Similarly, all sounds above 20 kHz are qualified as ultrasounds , but their are sounds for a cat or a dog up to 40 kHz or for a dolphin or a bat up to kHz. This is true for the middle frequency range kHz. For lower or higher frequencies, the dynamic is narrowed. This threshold is plotted for both your ears as two separate lines on your audiogram.
Your audiogram can tell you a lot about your hearing , including the frequencies you can hear and the volume you can hear them at. This is important to know because each sound you hear has a certain frequency. Birdsong has a higher frequency while tubas have a lower frequency. The person with this audiogram has a hearing loss in his left ear that prevents him from hearing sounds like the faucet or birdsong. Lower frequency sounds like the rumbling of a truck engine are easier to hear for the person with this audiogram.
Hearing professionals can determine whether or not you are hearing the sounds that you are supposed to hear and recommend a course of action if you do have a hearing loss.
Visit our Shop Finder to find a hearing professional near you. Loudness and pitch The human hearing range depends on both the pitch of the sound — whether it is high or low — and the loudness of the sound. Hearing ranges for people with hearing loss When you have a hearing loss , your hearing range changes.
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