The path followed by a sound wave from its source to your ear is not a straight line but rather a curved path. Sound waves propagate through a medium, such as air, and their behavior is governed by the principles of wave propagation.
When a sound wave is emitted from a source, it propagates outward in all directions as a spherical wavefront. Each point on the wavefront acts as a new secondary source, emitting its own spherical wavefront. As a result, the sound wave spreads out in a radial manner, creating an expanding shell of waves.
The reason sound waves follow a curved path is due to the phenomenon known as diffraction. Diffraction occurs when waves encounter an obstacle or encounter an opening that is comparable in size to the wavelength of the wave. When a sound wave encounters an obstacle or passes through an opening, it bends around the edges and spreads out into the region beyond. This bending of the wavefront causes the sound waves to curve around objects and corners, enabling them to reach your ear even if they do not travel in a straight line.
In addition to diffraction, sound waves can also be affected by other factors such as reflection, refraction, and interference, which further contribute to their complex propagation patterns. These interactions with the environment determine the specific path that sound waves take as they travel from the source to your ear.