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. Which of the following would explain their difficulty localizing the sound?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

If the sound waves arrived at both left and right ears at the same instant, it would be difficult for Juan and Karletta to determine the direction from which the sound came. This is because differences in the timing and intensity of the sound arriving at each ear are important cues for localizing sounds, and if these cues are absent, localization becomes difficult. The other options are not relevant or accurate explanations for their difficulty in localizing the sound.

Juan and Karletta Were Walking One Night When They Heard