6. The process of hearing is very complex. Sound waves travel into the ear canal until they reach the eardrum. The eardrum passes the vibrations through the middle ear bones into the inner ear. The inner ear is also called the cochlea. Inside the cochlea, there are thousands of tiny hair cells. Hair cells change the vibrations into electrical signals that are sent to the brain through the hearing nerve. The brain tells you that you are hearing a sound and what that sound is.

What energy transformations occur between entering the ear and the brain?

Electrical energy to sound energy to mechanical energy

Sound energy to mechanical energy to electrical energy

Mechanical energy to electrical to sound energy

Sound energy to electrical energy to mechanical energy