Sound and Direction

Sound and Direction

Purpose - To test one’s ability to determinethe direction of a sound source.

Materials - a helper

Procedure

■ Have thehelper sit in a chair.

■ Tell thehelper to close his or her eyes.

■ Snap your fingers above his or herhead and have the helper determine the area, front, top, or back of head thatyou snap your fingers. NOTE: Be sure your fingers are held an equal distance betweenyour helper’s ears.

■ Do this several times changing thesnapping position.

Results By random chance, some of the answers will becorrect, but if enough trials are made, it will be obvious that the personcannot tell where the sound is coming from.

Why? The direction of sound is not always clearunless it is coming from a point directed toward the ear. If the sound is inthe center of the head at the front, top, or back, one cannot tell the exactdirection of the sound source. This confusion is due to the fact that in theseareas the sound is received with equal intensity by both ears.