What produces sound waves?

Sound waves are produced by the vibration of an object. When an object vibrates, it creates a disturbance in the surrounding medium, which is often air. This disturbance causes the air particles to move in a way that generates sound waves, traveling away from the source of the vibration.

For example, when a guitar string is plucked, it vibrates, and these vibrations cause the surrounding air molecules to oscillate. As these air molecules vibrate, they compress and rarefy (create regions of high and low pressure) the air, which results in sound waves that we can hear.

Though the movement of air particles is involved in propagating sound, it is the initial vibration of an object that is the primary source of sound wave generation. Other options, such as change in pressure or temperature variations, do not directly create sound waves themselves, but rather can influence how sound travels or is perceived in different environments.