They increase the pressure 20x. B. A brief primer on the physics of sound. No sound in a vacuum - sound is transmitted by the movement of air molecules. Consider a vibrating tuning fork that alternately compresses and releases air molecules. The units are decibels and humans can easily detect 10 db.
Pitch is related to frequency - number of waves that pass a given point per unit time.
Frequency is expressed as Hertz. E. Hearing damage Loud sounds can damage hair cells. F. Balance Semicircular canals are important for detecting position. Contain hair cells surrounded by a fluid that responds to gravity. When hair cells bend due to movement of the fluid it initiates an action potential that can be processed into info concerning body position.