Which term describes a regular pattern of movement or compressions in sound waves?

The term that accurately describes a regular pattern of movement or compressions in sound waves is oscillation. In the context of waves, oscillation refers to the repetitive variation, typically in time, of some measure about a central value, which can be either a physical displacement or another parameter. For sound waves, oscillation involves the back-and-forth movement of air particles due to the compressions and rarefactions created as the wave travels through the medium.

Sound waves are essentially longitudinal waves where areas of higher pressure (compressions) and areas of lower pressure (rarefactions) move in a sequence. This continuous back-and-forth movement constitutes oscillation, reflecting how sound energy propagates through a medium. Oscillation is fundamental to understanding how sound waves behave and interact with their environment, influencing characteristics such as pitch and tone.

In contrast, while vibration can refer to the physical motions involved in creating sound waves, it is a broader term and doesn't specifically capture the regular, repetitive nature of the wave motion inherent in oscillation. Frequency refers to how many oscillations occur in a given time frame and is therefore a measure that quantifies oscillation, but it does not describe the pattern itself. Amplitude pertains to the maximum displacement of particles from their