Bone conduction

Principle

In this experiment, the students can observe that sound can reach the inner ear not only via the outer and middle ear but also via the human bones. In medicine, bone conduction is used for diagnostic purposes. Based on the Rinne and Weber tests, which are used for medical diagnoses, the students will learn that bone conduction bypasses the sound conduction of the outer and middle ear. As a result, these experiments can be used to distinguish between sound conduction disorders (outer ear, middle
ear) and sound sensation disorders (inner ear, auditory nerve).

The human ear perceives sound in its environment usually through the air. The sound signals are processed in three different areas of the ear: in the outer ear (auricle and outer auditory canal), middle ear (eardrum, auditory ossicles, and auditory tube), and inner ear (cochlea and vestibular system). The actual auditory information is transmitted from the inner ear to the brain by the auditory nerve. This experiment examines the question as to whether sound can also be perceived in a different way than via the outer ear.

Tasks

Examine the bone conduction of sound in the human body. Find out what an ear, nose, and throat specialist understands by a Rinne test and a Weber test and what kind of information these tests can provide.

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