Question

Explain the propagation of sound in air.

Answer 1

1. Sound propagates through the medium as a series of compressions and rarefactions.
2. When a vibrating object moves forward it pushes and compresses the air in front of it creating a region of high pressure (compression). When the vibrating object moves backward it creates a region of low pressure (rarefaction)
3. Because the particles of the medium vibrate in a direction parallel to the wave's propagation direction, sound waves are called longitudinal waves.