The maximum distance humans can hear up to depends on various factors, including the intensity of the sound, the frequency of the sound, the ambient noise level, and individual hearing capabilities.
Under ideal conditions, a human with normal hearing can detect sounds with a frequency range of approximately 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz. However, the ability to hear sounds diminishes as the distance from the sound source increases due to the inverse square law, which describes how sound waves disperse as they travel through the air.
In everyday situations, the practical range for hearing everyday sounds is typically limited to a few hundred feet or meters. For example, you can hear conversations or other sounds within that range without much difficulty.
In more extreme cases, such as hearing loud sounds like explosions or thunder, the range can extend to several miles, but the clarity and discernibility of the sound decrease significantly with distance.
It's important to note that hearing range can be affected by various factors, such as background noise, atmospheric conditions, and individual hearing abilities. Additionally, sounds with higher frequencies tend to dissipate more quickly than sounds with lower frequencies, which can further limit the effective hearing distance for certain types of sounds.