Which component of a hearing aid changes acoustic energy to electrical energy?

The component of a hearing aid that changes acoustic energy to electrical energy is the microphone. The microphone captures sound waves (acoustic energy) and converts these sound waves into electrical signals that can be processed and amplified.

Understanding the role of the microphone is essential for appreciating how hearing aids function. When sounds enter the hearing aid, the microphone is the first part to interact with these sounds, allowing the device to turn them into a format that can be enhanced before being sent to the speaker for output.

Other components, like the amplifier, play different roles—after the microphone converts sound to an electrical signal, the amplifier increases the strength of that signal. The speaker then converts the electrical signals back into sound, allowing the user to hear. The transistor, while important in electronic devices for switching or signal modulation, is not directly responsible for the conversion of sound energy in this context.