Question

How can sound travel in transverse waves in solids but not in liquids or gases?

Answer 1

1. To answer the question, first, let's see how transverse waves or S-waves propagate, so in simple terms, we can state that S-waves or transverse are shear waves, whose particles move perpendicularly to their direction of propagation.
2. They can propagate through solid because solids have enough shear strength. The shear strength is one of the forces that hold the solid together, and prevent it from falling apart.
3. The case with liquids is that liquids do not have that much shear strength: for example consider this, if you take a glass of water and suddenly, somehow you remove the glass, the water will not keep its shape and will just flow away.
4. So in fact it just boils down to the fact that transverse waves need a medium rigid enough to propagate, which liquids and gases can't provide.