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GCSE Physics · key term
The three small bones in the middle ear—the malleus, incus and stapes—which transmit vibrations from the eardrum towards the inner ear.
Used by OCR
Paper 1, Paper 2
Revise: Sound Waves and Human HearingThe middle-ear bones do not transmit every frequency equally efficiently. They transmit frequencies most efficiently between 1 kHz and 3 kHz. Vibrations outside this range can still be transmitted, but less efficiently; 1–3 kHz is not an absolute cut-off.
Do not describe 1–3 kHz as the complete human hearing range. It is the range transmitted most efficiently by the middle-ear bones.
When explaining hearing, give the sequence: air vibrates the eardrum, the middle-ear bones transmit the vibration, and the cochlea begins the conversion to an electrical signal.
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