How accurately can the ear distinguish frequencies?

Figure 8. Anatomy of the human ear. The pathway from the outer ear to the inner ear is remarkable in its ability to precisely process sounds from the very softest to the very loudest and to distinguish very small changes in the frequency of sound (pitch). Humans can discern a difference in frequency of just 0.1 percent ...

1. How does the ear determine frequency?
2. What part of the ear distinguishes between different frequencies?
3. Which frequency can the human ear detect best?
4. What frequencies can the human ear detect?

How does the ear determine frequency?

Auditory hair cells are specialized along the length of the cochlea to respond to specific sound frequencies. ... Each of our roughly 16,000 hair cells is dedicated to a narrow frequency range. These cells are ordered along the basilar membrane according to the frequencies they detect.

What part of the ear distinguishes between different frequencies?

The cochlea analyzes sound frequencies (distinguishes pitch) by means of the basilar membrane, which exhibits different degrees of stiffness, or resonance, along its length. The analysis of sound frequencies by the basilar membrane.

Which frequency can the human ear detect best?

While 20 to 20,000Hz forms the absolute borders of the human hearing range, our hearing is most sensitive in the 2000 - 5000 Hz frequency range.

What frequencies can the human ear detect?

Humans can detect sounds in a frequency range from about 20 Hz to 20 kHz. (Human infants can actually hear frequencies slightly higher than 20 kHz, but lose some high-frequency sensitivity as they mature; the upper limit in average adults is often closer to 15–17 kHz.)