What happens to sound waves after they are received by our ears?

Sound waves travel from the outer ear and in through the auditory canal, causing the eardrum to vibrate. This in turn causes three small bones in the middle ear to move. The vibrations move through the fluid in the cochlea in the inner ear, stimulating thousands of tiny hair cells.

Our ears perceive then sound then it is transmitted to our brain where it is processed into something we can respond to. This all happens in less than a second and we are unaware that we are doing it.

Explanation:

The sound wave bounces off of the ear drum into the inner ear.