The function of the ossicles in the middle ear is to transmit the vibrations of the tympanic membrane caused by sound waves propagated in air to the fluid-filled cochlea. In doing so, the ossicles change the nature of the vibrations. The ear tries to conserve the energy in the wave I, where v is the wave speed, cramster-equation-20107311304063416 13664 is the density of the medium, cramster-equation-20107311312863416 13668 is the frequency of the wave and A is the amplitude of the wave.
Calculate the magnitude of the change in A that occurs. The density of air and water is 1.3x10–3g/cm3 and 1.0g/cm3, respectively, and the velocity of sound is 331 m/s in air and 1410 m/s in water. The frequency of the wave remains constant as the wave propagates. (Hint: Begin with to find .)