How Ears Catch Sound

The heading above the diagram says “A Sound Trip.” The diagram shows how sound enters the ear and how a message goes to your brain. Its arrows point along this path.

First, the outer ear catches sound waves. The outer ear is the part you can see on each side of your head. In the diagram, it looks like a small cup. It helps collect sounds.

Next, sound waves travel down the ear canal. The canal is a short path inside the ear. It carries the waves to the eardrum. The eardrum is a thin part that shakes when sound reaches it.

The picture shows the eardrum as a small circle with lines around it. Those lines show movement. Tiny parts inside the ear pass the movement on. Then the inner ear sends a message to the brain.

Read the caption under the picture: “Sound travels in, then a message travels out.” This detail helps show the key idea: ears collect sounds and help the brain understand them.