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How does a speaker work?

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Quick answer

A speaker works by turning an electrical signal back into sound. The signal flows through a coil near a magnet, pushing and pulling a cone back and forth; the moving cone vibrates the air, and those vibrations are the sound you hear.

Step by step

  1. An audio signal is sent through a coil attached to a cone.
  2. The coil sits in a magnet's field, so the changing current makes it move.
  3. The coil pushes and pulls the cone in step with the signal.
  4. The vibrating cone pushes air, creating sound waves.
  5. Bigger cones move more air for deeper bass; small ones handle treble.

People also ask

How does a speaker make sound?
An electric current in a coil interacts with a magnet to move a cone back and forth, vibrating the air into sound waves.
Why do speakers have magnets?
The fixed magnet provides a field that the signal-carrying coil pushes against, converting the electrical signal into physical motion.
Why are there different speaker sizes?
Large woofers move lots of air for low bass; small tweeters vibrate fast for high notes, so systems combine sizes.