What is a traveling wave in physics?
: a wave in which the particles of the medium move progressively in the direction of the wave propagation with such a gradation of speeds that the faster overtake the slower and are themselves in turn overtaken — compare standing wave.
How does the traveling wave cause membrane displacement?
The motion of the traveling wave initiates sensory transduction by displacing the hair cells that sit atop the basilar membrane.
Who discovered Travelling waves?
Still cited widely today, this paper deals with the basic question of how the cochlea works to analyse sound into its component frequencies. Two prominent theories—sympathetic resonance, proposed by Hermann Helmholtz (1885), and travelling waves, proposed by Georg von Békésy (1960)—need to be distinguished (Figure 1).
What are the theories of hearing?
The ear-brain system is a complex instrument. Currently there are two overlapping theories of how we hear; the place theory of hearing and the temporal theory of hearing. Neither of these concepts alone appears to be sufficient to explain the richness of auditory phenomena that we experience.
What is traveling from place to place in a wave?
In a wave phenomenon, energy can move from one location to another, yet the particles of matter in the medium return to their fixed position. A wave transports its energy without transporting matter. Waves are seen to move through an ocean or lake; yet the water always returns to its rest position.
What is the equation of a Travelling wave?
A traveling wave is described by the equation y(x,t) = (0.003) cos(20 x + 200 t ), where y and x are measured in meters and t in seconds.
What are the types of Travelling waves?
There are three basic types of waves: mechanical waves, electromagnetic waves, and matter waves.
What two phenomena are not explained by the place theory?
What two phenomena are not explained by the place theory? Hearing the missing fundamental of a complex sound and to account for perceptual differences in low-frequency stimulation where the tuning curves are rather wide.
What is an example of place theory?
The place theory of hearing is used to explain how we distinguish high-pitched sounds that possess a frequency that exceeds 5,000 hertz. For example, a sound that measures 6,000 hertz would stimulate the spot along the basilar membrane that possesses a characteristic frequency of 6,000 hertz.