Range of compression wave frequencies to which the human ear is sensitive is called what?

Range of compression wave frequencies to which the human ear is sensitive is called what?

• A. Sound
• B. Ultrasonic
• C. Infrasound
• D. Noise

Answer: (A)

The key idea is what our ears actually respond to: pressure fluctuations within a certain band of frequencies. The human ear is sensitive to those frequencies roughly from 20 Hz up to 20,000 Hz, which we normally call audible sound. Frequencies above that range are ultrasonic, and those below are infrasonic. Noise is not a range; it describes sound that is unwanted or has a broad, often random spectrum. So the term that describes the frequencies we can sense with the ear is sound.

The key idea is what our ears actually respond to: pressure fluctuations within a certain band of frequencies. The human ear is sensitive to those frequencies roughly from 20 Hz up to 20,000 Hz, which we normally call audible sound. Frequencies above that range are ultrasonic, and those below are infrasonic. Noise is not a range; it describes sound that is unwanted or has a broad, often random spectrum. So the term that describes the frequencies we can sense with the ear is sound.