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Project Summary
| Difficulty | 6 |
| Time required | Average (about one week) |
| Material Availability | Readily available |
| Cost | Very Low (under $20) |
| Safety | No issues |
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| * Note: This is an abbreviated project idea, without notes to start your background research or a procedure for how to do the experiment. You can identify abbreviated project ideas by the asterisk at the end of the title. If you want a project idea with full instructions, please pick one without an asterisk. |
Abstract
How accurately can people identify the location of a sound source when blindfolded? Imagine the hemisphere of space that extends above your shoulders at arm's length. Divide that hemisphere up into regular sectors and test the ability of blindfolded test subjects to point to a remembered sound source. For example, you could use the beep from a timer held at each test location, and then have the test subject point to where they think the timer was located. Record the magnitude and direction of the error for each test location. Graph the error results for each test subject, and graph the average error for all test subjects. Where are people best at localizing sounds? Where are they worst? Something to think about for locations behind you: how much of the error is due to difficulty in pointing? (Dettmer, 2005)Bibliography
Dettmer, D.E. (2005). Sound Location. California State Science Fair Abstract. Retrieved August 23, 2006, from http://www.usc.edu/CSSF/History/2005/Projects/J0310.pdf.Variations
- For more science project ideas in this area of science, see Human Biology & Health Project Ideas.
Last edit date: 2008-11-10 15:13:47
Career Focus
If you like this project, you might want to think about career opportunities in
Human Biology & Health.
Doctor's need information to decide if a person is healthy or sick, if a baby's earache is bacterial or viral, or if the man next door needs medication to lower his cholesterol and prevent a heart attack. The information often comes in the form of results from lab tests. Medical and clinical laboratory technicians are the people who perform these routine medical laboratory tests, giving the doctors the information needed to diagnose, treat, and prevent disease. Learn more about this career: Medical & Clinical Laboratory Technician.
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