Sound travels fastest in solids like steel due to closely packed molecules.

Conduction is a mode of heat transfer and is not a characteristic of wave motion, while reflection, refraction, and diffraction are.

Conduction is a process of heat transfer and is not a characteristic of wave phenomena.

Sound waves are longitudinal waves, meaning the particle displacement is parallel to the direction of wave propagation.

Electromagnetic waves can travel through a vacuum, while sound waves, water waves, and seismic waves require a medium.

A sound wave is an example of a longitudinal wave, where the particle displacement is parallel to the direction of wave propagation.

Sound waves are mechanical waves that require a medium (solid, liquid, or gas) to propagate, while electromagnetic waves can travel through a vacuum.

Diffraction is the phenomenon that explains the bending of waves around obstacles and the spreading of waves when they pass through openings.

The Doppler effect describes the change in frequency (and wavelength) of a wave in relation to an observer moving relative to the wave source.

Refraction occurs when a wave passes from one medium to another and changes speed, resulting in a change in direction.

Critical damping allows the system to return to equilibrium in the shortest time without oscillating.