Question

Reducing sensitivity to sound is critical for our ability to hear because (select all that apply):

A. The inner ear must respond similarly to sound pressures that range 1000000x in energy.
B. The inner ear must respond similarly to sound pressures that range 1000000x in frequency.
C. There are some sounds of equal loudness that are irrelevant, so it's best to hear selectively.
D. All of the above.

Answer 1

Reducing sensitivity to sound is critical for our ability to hear because the inner ear needs to respond to varying levels of energy and frequency, while also prioritizing relevant sounds.

Step-by-step explanation:

The sensitivity of our ears to sound is crucial for our ability to hear because of several reasons:

1. The inner ear must respond similarly to sound pressures that range 1000000x in energy. This means that the inner ear needs to be able to detect sounds that vary greatly in intensity.
2. The inner ear must respond similarly to sound pressures that range 1000000x in frequency. This means that the inner ear needs to be able to detect sounds that vary greatly in pitch.
3. There are some sounds of equal loudness that are irrelevant, so it's best to hear selectively. Our ears prioritize certain frequency ranges to perceive sounds as being louder. For example, the ear is most sensitive to frequencies in the range of 2000 to 5000 Hz, so sounds in this range are perceived as being louder than sounds at lower or higher frequencies, even if they all have the same intensity.

Therefore, the answer is D. All of the above.