Question

A tuning fork is vibrating the air around it. What best describes the waves produced by the tuning fork?

mechanical, because the air molecules are moving perpendicular to the tuning fork
mechanical, because the vibrating tuning fork makes air molecules around it vibrate
electromagnetic, because the air molecules are moving parallel to the tuning fork
electromagnetic, because the vibrating tuning fork does not need air in order to produce sound

Answer 1

mechanical, because the vibrating tuning fork makes air molecules around it vibrate.

Sound from a tuning fork is a mechanical (longitudinal) wave: it requires a medium and is produced by the fork's vibrations causing nearby air molecules to oscillate and transmit the disturbance.