What happens to an ear when sound waves travel through it?

Answer 1

Sound travels into the ear where it goes into the ear drum which looks similar to a snail shell which has many many tiny hairs attached to it. When the sound waves hit the hairs, the hairs begin to vibrate according to the frequency of the sound waves. Certain hairs register certain frequencies and sends signals to the brain which registers those vibrations as sound.

Answer 2

Sound waves travel through the ear canal and cause the eardrum to vibrate. These vibrations are then transmitted through the middle ear bones to the fluid-filled cochlea in the inner ear. The cochlea converts the vibrations into electrical signals that are sent to the brain for interpretation as sound.