Transverse and longitudinal waves
In a transverse wave the medium moves at right angles to the wave direction. In a longitudinal wave it moves along the direction.
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Analogy
A shaken rope is transverse. A pushed and pulled spring is longitudinal.
Example
Rope wave: transverseSound wave: longitudinalLight: transverse
In practice
Light and waves on a string are transverse. Sound in air is longitudinal.
Practice
Flashcards
- Which waves need a medium: light or sound?Sound. Light can travel through empty space.
Questions people ask
Why can light travel through space but sound cannot?
Light is an electromagnetic wave. Its fields carry the wave, so it needs no material. Sound is a vibration of particles that bump into each other, so it needs air, water or a solid. Space is almost empty, so sound has nothing to travel through.
What is a compression?
A compression is a region in a longitudinal wave where particles are pushed close together, so the pressure is higher. The next region, where they are spread apart, is called a rarefaction. The distance between two compressions is one wavelength.