Acoustic impedance (Z) measures the resistance an anatomical system offers to sound energy transmission, determined by the formula Z = \sqrt{R^2 + (2\pi f M - \frac{S}{2\pi f})^2}, where R is resistance, M is mass, S is stiffness, and f is frequency. Conditions increasing stiffness (otosclerosis) attenuate low frequencies, whereas conditions increasing mass (cholesteatoma, fluid) disproportionately attenuate high frequencies. How do you use stiffness- versus mass-dominated mechanics to analyze tympanograms?