Range of Hearing
Understanding the frequency range of sounds is essential for recognizing how different beings perceive the world around them.
The human ear can typically hear frequencies ranging from 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz (20 kHz). Frequencies lower than this are known as infrasound. For instance, some animals like elephants can communicate using infrasonic sounds around 5 Hz.
Infrasound allows these large animals to understand their environment and coordinate themselves over great distances, as lower frequencies travel farther. Understanding sounds in this frequency range can also inform human awareness of natural phenomena, as some animals detect infrasound preceding events like earthquakes.
Conversely, frequencies above 20 kHz fall into the category of ultrasound. Animals such as dolphins and bats utilize ultrasound to navigate and hunt. Furthermore, ultrasound has been harnessed in various fields, notably in medical imaging techniques like echocardiography and ultrasonography, aiding in diagnosis and detection within human bodies.
As humans age, sensitivity to higher frequencies decreases, a phenomenon often not recognized until it impacts communication. This section further stresses the importance of understanding the audible range and its implications in both nature and technology.