Juan and Karletta were walking one night when they heard a car backfire. Juan was convinced the sound came from directly in front of them, and Karletta was convinced the sound came from directly behind them. One reason they might have difficulty localizing the sound is
A) the sound waves would have arrived at both ears at the same instant.
B) we are able to judge distance better than direction for sounds.
C) sound localization is more difficult in the dark.
D) only speech sounds can be accurately localized.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

If the sound waves arrived at both ears simultaneously, it would be difficult for the brain to distinguish the direction of the sound. This is because the brain relies on the difference in timing and intensity between the sound arriving at the closer ear versus the farther ear to determine the sound's direction. If both ears receive the sound at the same time, this cue is lost.

Juan and Karletta Were Walking One Night When They Heard