How Do Earbuds Make Sound?

What You'll Learn

• Earbuds get an electric signal from your phone or device
• Inside the earbud is a tiny magnet and a coil of wire
• Electricity makes the coil move back and forth
• The moving coil pushes a thin piece called a diaphragm
• The diaphragm wiggles the air, creating sound waves that travel to your ear

Words to Know

Earbud

A tiny speaker that fits in your ear

"I listen to music with earbuds."

Diaphragm

A thin piece that wiggles to make sound

"The diaphragm moved fast."

Sound wave

Moving air that carries sound

"Sound waves traveled to my ear."

Coil

A spring-shaped piece of wire

"Electricity flowed through the coil."

Check What You Learned

Fun Facts

• Earbuds are small speakers that convert electrical audio signals into sound

  Source: HowStuffWorks

• Inside an earbud is a voice coil, a permanent magnet, and a diaphragm

  Source: Audio Engineering Society

• When electric current passes through the voice coil, it creates an electromagnet that interacts with the permanent magnet

  Source: Britannica

• The changing magnetic field causes the coil and attached diaphragm to move back and forth rapidly

  Source: Audio Engineering Society

• The diaphragm compresses and rarefies air, creating sound waves

  Source: Physics of Sound, MIT

• Sound waves travel through the ear canal to the eardrum

  Source: NIDCD