Question map
Which one of the following is the audible range of hearing for humans?
Explanation
The audible range of hearing for a healthy human being is generally defined as 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz (or 20 kHz) [1]. Frequency, measured in Hertz (Hz), refers to the pitch of the sound, where 20 Hz represents the lowest audible bass tones and 20 kHz represents the highest audible treble tones. Sounds below 20 Hz are classified as infrasound, while those above 20 kHz are known as ultrasound. While infants and young children can often hear frequencies slightly above 20 kHz, this sensitivity typically diminishes with age due to natural wear of the cochlea, often dropping to an upper limit of 12,000 Hz to 17,000 Hz in adults [2]. Despite individual variations, 20 Hz – 20 kHz remains the standard scientific and clinical benchmark for the human audible spectrum [1][2].
Sources
- [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hearing_range
- [2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK10924/