If your ears were larger, you would:
a. be able to hear sounds at lower amplitude (softer sounds)
b. lose the ability to hear low amplitude high frequency sounds
c. not experience any difference in your hearing ability
d. none of the above
To determine the correct answer, we can apply some basic knowledge about human hearing. Our ears are composed of different parts, including the outer ear, middle ear, and inner ear. The outer ear, which includes the pinna or the visible part of the ear, plays a role in collecting sound waves and directing them into the ear canal.
Based on this understanding, we can evaluate the given options:
a. If your ears were larger, you would be able to hear sounds at lower amplitude (softer sounds):
A larger pinna would result in capturing a larger surface area of sound waves. As a result, more sound waves would be directed into the ear canal. This could potentially enhance the sensitivity to softer sounds, allowing you to hear sounds at lower amplitude.
b. If your ears were larger, you would lose the ability to hear low amplitude high frequency sounds:
It is not logical to assume that larger ears would result in losing the ability to hear specific types of sounds, such as low amplitude high frequency sounds. The size of the ear is not directly related to the ability to detect different frequencies of sound.
c. If your ears were larger, you would not experience any difference in your hearing ability:
This is unlikely since the size of the outer ear, such as the pinna, directly affects the way sound waves are collected and directed into the ear canal. Therefore, a change in size would likely have an impact on hearing ability to some extent.
d. None of the above:
Based on the explanations given, it seems that the most reasonable answer is not "none of the above." While option "b" can be ruled out as incorrect, it appears that both options "a" and "c" have some validity.
Considering all of this, the most accurate answer would be: a. You would be able to hear sounds at lower amplitude (softer sounds).