Why do we hear echoes?

Answer: Sound bounces off surfaces

Sound bounces off surfaces ✓ — Correct! Sound waves reflect off hard surfaces like walls, cliffs, or buildings. The reflected sound reaches your ears after the original, creating an echo. Soft surfaces absorb sound, which is why echoes are clearer in empty rooms!

Our ears replay sounds — Wrong. Ears don't have replay function. You hear actual reflected sound waves arriving after the original.

Sound waves split apart — Wrong. Sound waves don't split to create echoes. They bounce off surfaces intact.