Question

The human ear is sometimes called a Fourier analyzer. What does this mean and why is it an apt description? 1. Our ears can sort out the individual sine waves from a mixture of two or more sine waves, so we hear the pure tones that make up a complex tone. 2. Our ears measure the intensity of sound, which is just what a Fourier analyzer does. 3. Our ears can measure the speed of sound. 4. Our ears have nothing to do with a Fourier analyzer

Answer 1

1. A Fourier analyzer sorts out the individual sine waves from a mixture of two or more sine waves, so we hear the pure tones that make up a complex tone.

Step-by-step explanation:

Fourier analysis is a technique that is used to determine which sine waves constitute a given signal, i.e. to deconstruct the signal into its individual sine waves. It is the process of decomposing a periodic function into its constituent sine or cosine waves.

What goes on inside our ears is a mathematical process called a Fourier transform. In the ear, there's a combination of different waves, Fourier analysis identifies contributions at different frequencies, allowing us to reconstruct the individual signals that go into it.

A complex tone perceived by the air is is an individual sine wave that the ear, by acting as a Fourier analyzer, decomposes to serious of sine waves that we hear as pure tones.

Answer 2

1. Our ears can sort out the individual sine waves from a mixture of two or more sine waves, so we hear the pure tones that make up a complex tone.

Step-by-step explanation:

A complex tone is a sound wave that consist of two or more forms of audible sound frequencies. Sound wave is a mechanical wave that is longitudinal, and could be represented by a sine wave because of it sinusoidal manner of propagation.

A Fourier analyzer can be used to differentiate individual sine waves from a combination of two or more of it; which is as the same function performed by human ear. To the human ear, a sound wave that consist of more than one sine wave will have perceptible harmonics which would be distorted and turn to a noise.

Thus, the human ear makes it possible to hear the pure tones that make up a complex tone.