Eli5 How exactly does Noise cancellation work? That too in such small airbuds

Question

Eli5 How exactly does Noise cancellation work? That too in such small airbuds

In: 528

Answer 1

You know how your headphones can reproduce any sound? Noise cancelling headphones have microphones to detect what outside sounds you’re about to hear and then make the exact opposite sound at exactly the right time. Any sound (no matter how complex or loud) + its exact opposite = no sound at all, much like 5 + (-5) = 0.

I could get into superposition and all that, but that’s probably beyond age 5.