Final answer:
Sound waves travel through the air in all directions away from a sound source. They propagate as longitudinal waves and can bend around corners and pass through openings. In the ear, sound waves cause the eardrum to vibrate and are then transmitted to the cochlea for interpretation by the brain.
Step-by-step explanation:
Sound waves travel through the air in all directions away from a sound source. They spread out and propagate as longitudinal waves, which means they move in a back-and-forth motion parallel to the direction of the wave.
The path of sound waves can be understood by tracing their journey through the ear. When sound waves enter the ear canal, they hit the eardrum, causing it to vibrate. The vibrations are then amplified and transmitted through the middle ear to the cochlea, where they are converted into electrical signals that can be interpreted by the brain as sound.
Unlike light waves, sound waves can bend around corners and pass through openings. This is because sound waves have wavelengths on the order of the size of the opening or obstacle, allowing them to diffract or bend around objects in their path.