Biology / Unit 12 Bio 2901 short lesson, about 20 seconds
Place Theory of Pitch Perception
Captions available
The idea
Place theory holds that high-frequency sounds maximally vibrate the basilar membrane near the cochlea's entrance, while lower frequencies vibrate it farther along, encoding pitch by location.
In practice
Piano strings differ in frequency by about six percent between adjacent notes, while adjacent hair cells differ by 0.2 percent.
Where people slip
Place theory is a first-order model of pitch detection, not a full account of fine resolution.
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
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