Which row shows an example of a transverse wave and an example of a longitudinal wave?
Transverse | Longitudinal | |
A | light | radio |
B | radio | sound |
C | sound | water |
D | water | light |
Mainly there are two types of mechanical waves, namely:
In transverse waves, the displacement of the particle is perpendicular to the direction of propagation of the wave. You can see in the picture how the just the up and down motion of the particles in the wave results in the movement of the waves sideways.
In transverse waves too, the particles do not move along with the wave. They just move up and down about their equilibrium positions. Some examples of transverse waves are:
In a longitudinal wave, the displacement of the particle is parallel to the direction of the wave propagation. What you see in the picture is the wavefront progressing forward and the particles compressing and expanding in the same direction. This kind of wave is marked by periodic compression zones and rarefaction zones, where the medium expands.
The particles in the wave do not move along with the wave though, they simply oscillate back and forth about their own equilibrium. Some examples of longitudinal waves are: