Figure 2. Equal-Loudness Contours for the Human Ear
Sound Pressure Level (dB)
130
120
110
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
-10
10
100
1000
10000
100000
Frequency (Hz)
Attribution: Lindosland, CC-BY-SA 3.0
The maximum sensitivity of human hearing is due to the resonance of the
auditory canal, which can be considered a closed ended pipe. Using the
data in Figure 2, what is the length of the auditory canal? (Use 330 m/s for
the speed of sound.)