SSC Selection Post 2020 PYQ — Question 34

The correct answer is option 1 i.e. Oscillating.

While sound waves certainly cause particles to oscillate, the specific type of motion they exhibit as a wave travelling through air is longitudinal motion. This means that the individual air molecules vibrate back and forth parallel to the direction the sound wave is moving. These oscillations create alternating regions of compression (where particles are close together) and rarefaction (where they are spread out), which propagate as the sound wave. So, while oscillation describes the particle movement, longitudinal describes the wave's overall progression.