The Ear Drums (Brilliant Biology Experiments)

You will need:

1. Small pieces of paper/
   fine sand/salt
2. A musical instrument or something that makes a noise
3. Rubber band
4. Plastic cup
5. Piece of rubber balloon or sheet of thin rubber

Understand how our ears function by creating a real-life version of the ear drums.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Take your plastic cup and the piece of rubber balloon. Secure the rubber balloon as firmly as possible over the plastic cup with the help of the rubber band.
2. Make sure the rubber balloon is pulled as taut as possible.
3. Place a few small pieces of paper or fine sand or salt on the stretched rubber balloon. Place the plastic cup on a table.
4. Take any instrument or noise- producing object and make as much sound as possible close to the cup without actually touching the cup.
5. What happens to the salt/ sand/ pieces of paper?

RESULT

The rubber balloon covering the plastic cup represents the thin layer of covering inside our ears after the ear canal, known as the ear drums. Sound waves reach our ear drums creating vibrations through 3 connected bones in the ear. The vibrations then set fluid moving in the ear which bends the tiny hair-like cells into motion. These hair-like cells convert the vibration into nerve impulses which are transmitted to the brain.