Sound Localization

Modified: 2026-08-06 3:30 PM CDST

The two ears, working together, can detect the direction of a sound.
- Many animals can move their outer ears and their heads in order to detect sound direction.
- Humans can only move their heads.
- Notice that the sounds most difficult to detect are those that come from directly in front or directly in back of you.
Why?
- Because the sound reaches your ears at the same time.
- Have you ever looked for an ambulance in your rearview mirror, only to have it appear in front of you?
- So, when we have trouble detecting sound direction, we cock our heads.
- That moves our ears relative to the sound we are trying to detect, making it easier to determine where it is coming from.