If you bang on a large metal gong with a stick, producing a loud sound that can be heard by your friend down the street, how does this sound travel to your friend’s ear?

banging the gong sets the metal particles in motion, these particles move through the air to your friend’s ear.

banging the gong releases sound particles that travel as vibrations through the air to your friend’s ear.

banging the gong vibrates the metal, which passes its energy to the air, sending a sound wave through the air to your friend’s ear.

banging the gong creates air particles; these particles vibrate. their energy travels through the air to your friend’s ear, but the air particles themselves do not move.