Which instrument is designed to measure hearing thresholds across frequencies?

Which instrument is designed to measure hearing thresholds across frequencies?

• A. Audiometer
• B. Otoscope
• C. Tympanometer
• D. Acoustic reflectometer

Answer: (A)

Determining hearing thresholds across frequencies requires a device that can deliver sounds at multiple pitches and measure the quietest level a person can hear at each pitch. An audiometer is built for this exact task: it generates pure tones across a standard range of frequencies (from low to high) and at calibrated intensities, and it records the quietest level at which the person responds for each frequency. This information, plotted as a graph called an audiogram, shows how sensitivity varies across frequencies and helps identify patterns of hearing loss. The other instruments serve different purposes: an otoscope visually inspects the ear canal and eardrum; a tympanometer measures middle-ear pressure and tympanic membrane mobility; and an acoustic reflectometer assesses how much sound energy is reflected by the eardrum, not the listener’s hearing thresholds across frequencies.

Determining hearing thresholds across frequencies requires a device that can deliver sounds at multiple pitches and measure the quietest level a person can hear at each pitch. An audiometer is built for this exact task: it generates pure tones across a standard range of frequencies (from low to high) and at calibrated intensities, and it records the quietest level at which the person responds for each frequency. This information, plotted as a graph called an audiogram, shows how sensitivity varies across frequencies and helps identify patterns of hearing loss. The other instruments serve different purposes: an otoscope visually inspects the ear canal and eardrum; a tympanometer measures middle-ear pressure and tympanic membrane mobility; and an acoustic reflectometer assesses how much sound energy is reflected by the eardrum, not the listener’s hearing thresholds across frequencies.