Chapter 20, Problem 39A

Why do your ears “pop' when you ascend to higher altitudes?

To determine

To Explain: The reason for popping of ears, while ascending to the higher altitudes.

Explanation of Solution

Introduction:

When a person in the airplane is moving high above the earth, the air in the inner ears will cause the eardrums to push the air outwards, so the pressure of the air will be decreased. And thus, the hearing ability of a person will be decreased and also causes discomfort in the ears.

This is due to the pressure that is present between the inner ear and the atmosphere which allows air from the inner ear that would escape through the Eustachian tubes. When the tubes are opened, a person can feel the pressure that is released and there will be some changeswhich leads to the pop in ear.