2016 · Q21
Which one of the following statements is not correct?
General KnowledgePhysics
- AThe response of the ear to sound of increasing intensity is approximately logarithmic.
- BThe sensitivity of the human ear does not vary with the frequency of the sound.
- CWhen two or more waves traverse the same medium, the displacement of any element of the medium is the algebraic sum of the displacements due to each wave.
- DLongitudinal waves can travel in all media-solids, liquids and gases.
Explanation
Statement (b) is the not-correct one: the sensitivity of the human ear varies markedly with frequency — it is most sensitive around 2–5 kHz and far less so at very low or very high frequencies (the Fletcher–Munson equal-loudness curves). The other statements are true: loudness perception is approximately logarithmic (the decibel scale), overlapping waves superpose algebraically, and longitudinal (sound) waves propagate through solids, liquids and gases.