• Question: Why do we hear the ocean when we put a shell to our ear?

    Asked by elliejade to Asif, Laura, Lena, Sean, Viv on 16 Mar 2012.
    • Photo: Sean Murphy

      Sean Murphy answered on 15 Mar 2012:

      The most likely explanation for the wave-like noise is ambient noise from around you. The seashell that you are holding just slightly above your ear captures this noise, which resonates inside the shell. The size and shape of the shell therefore has some effect on the sound you hear. Different shells sound different because different shells accentuate different frequencies. You don’t even need the seashell to hear the noise. You can produce the same “ocean” sound using an empty cup or even by cupping your hand over your ear. Go ahead and try it and vary the distance at which you place the cup near your ear. The level of the sound will vary depending on the angle and distance the cup is from your ear.

    • Photo: Laura Waters

      Laura Waters answered on 16 Mar 2012:

      I spent the first 16 years of my life believing it was the ocean! Then I realised it was just the cupping of the shell around the ear.

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