Question

Particle acceleration in a progressive longitudinal wave is

• A. zero
• B. parallel to wave velocity.
• C. perpendicular to wave velocity.
• D. None of these

Answer 1

Answer: (B)

parallel to wave velocity.

In any wave, particle acceleration is always parallel to the direction of oscillation. A longitudinal wave is the one in which the particles oscillate parallel to the direction of propagation of the wave. Hence the acceleration is parallel to wave velocity.