Final answer:
Sound is produced by vibrating objects that create pressure variations in the surrounding medium, which travel as sound waves.
Step-by-step explanation:
Sound is produced by vibrating objects pushing against air molecules. When an object vibrates, such as the cone of a speaker, it causes small changes in the air pressure around it, alternating between compressions (high-pressure regions) and rarefactions (low-pressure regions). These pressure variations travel as sound waves through mediums such as gases, liquids, and solids. In contrast, light is an electromagnetic wave that can travel through a vacuum and does not require a medium. The production of sound by any object involves the conversion of some form of energy, such as mechanical, electrical, or thermal energy, into acoustic energy which propagates as these waves.