Final answer:
Energy is required for speakers to produce sound as it gets converted into mechanical energy that causes vibrations in the air, leading to the creation of sound waves.
Step-by-step explanation:
Regarding the image of the speakers in a home entertainment center and the question about sound production, the correct answer is C: Energy needs to be applied to the speakers to start the particles vibrating. This is because sound is created by vibrations that initiate changes in the pressure of the air surrounding the speaker. When the cone of a speaker vibrates, it pushes against the air molecules around it, creating areas of high pressure (compressions) and low pressure (rarefactions) which then move outward as sound waves. For a speaker to do this, energy must be provided in the form of electrical power, which sets the cone into oscillatory motion.
In summary, speakers must receive energy to produce sound, and they function by converting electrical energy into mechanical energy that vibrates the air, thereby producing sound. So, statement B about the speakers being battery operated and not requiring energy is false, as is statement A, which claims that no energy is required for sound to begin.