The medium for sound waves from a speaker is typically air, although sound waves can travel through other mediums such as liquids and solids as well. In most cases, when you're listening to sound from a speaker, the sound waves are traveling through the air in the surrounding environment.
Here's how it works: Inside a speaker, an electrical signal is converted into mechanical vibrations by a diaphragm or cone. These vibrations push and pull the air molecules in front of the speaker, creating areas of compression and rarefaction. As the diaphragm moves back and forth, it generates a series of pressure waves in the air, which we perceive as sound.
The sound waves then propagate through the air, traveling as a series of compressions and rarefactions. When these waves reach our ears, they cause our eardrums to vibrate, and the vibrations are then processed by our auditory system, allowing us to perceive the sound.
It's important to note that while air is the most common medium for sound waves from a speaker, sound can also travel through other materials. For example, underwater speakers use water as the medium, and sound waves can travel through solid objects like walls or floors, although they may be attenuated or distorted in the process.