Answer
It would hinder or dampen the free inward movements of the eardrum (tympanic membrane) and decrease the frequency with which vibrations are transmitted to the inner ear.
Work Step by Step
The tympanum is the boundary between the external auditory canal and the cavity of the middle ear. . Sound waves from the external environment vibrate the tympanic membrane and are transmitted to the malleus (hammer) of the ear ossicles.. These vibrations are then transmitted through the the incus ( anvil) to the stapes ( stirrup) which is attached to the oval window (fenestra ovalis) in the inner wall of the middle ear. The perturbations of the oval window by the vibration of the stapes are transferred to the perilymph in the scala vestibuli; These movements disturb the hair cells of the organ of Corti within the cochlea. Impulses are sent to the brain which they are interpreted as sound. Middle ear infections, or air in the middle ear would negatively affect the vibrations of the eardrum.
