Which best describes the behavior of sound waves?

Sound waves are best described as longitudinal waves. This means that in sound waves, the particles of the medium through which the sound is traveling vibrate parallel to the direction of the wave's propagation. When a sound wave travels through a medium like air or water, it creates compressions and rarefactions. In the areas of compression, particles are close together, while in the areas of rarefaction, particles are spread apart. This back-and-forth motion of particles allows the energy of the sound wave to propagate through the medium.

In contrast, transverse waves have particle motion that is perpendicular to the wave direction, which is not how sound functions. Electromagnetic waves, like light, do not require a medium to propagate, as they consist of oscillating electric and magnetic fields. Stationary waves are a while different phenomenon and typically involve the interference of waves traveling in opposite directions, which does not apply to the nature of sound propagation. Thus, the description of sound waves as longitudinal waves is accurate and aligns with their behavior in various media.