Uri is walking home alone on a dark night. He hears a stick breaking and immediately turns to his right to see what made the noise. What cue could Uri have used to tell which direction the sound came from?
A) the location along the basilar membrane stimulated by the sound
B) the slight time difference between when the sound reached each ear
C) the overall loudness of the sound
D) the frequency of the sound

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Uri could have used the slight time difference (in milliseconds) between when the sound reached each ear to tell which direction the sound came from. This is because sound travels at a specific speed and the distance between the source of the sound and each ear is not the same, so there is a slight difference in the time it takes the sound to reach each ear. The brain can use this difference to localize the source of the sound. This is known as interaural time difference (ITD).

Uri Is Walking Home Alone on a Dark Night