This document contains answers to two short questions about hearing. The first question asks if putting a hand beside one's ear can help hear more clearly. The answer is yes, as it uses sound wave reflectivity to increase ear receptivity. The second question asks why a person's voice sounds louder in an empty room compared to a normal room, even if using the same volume. The answer is that an empty room only contains surfaces like walls, floor and ceiling that strongly reflect sound waves, so the original sound and echo reach the ear at the same time. In a normal room, furniture absorbs more sound and reflections are weaker.
