Transverse & Longitudinal Waves Flashcards

All 6 cards in this deck

What is a transverse wave?

A wave in which the oscillations are perpendicular to the direction of energy transfer.

What is a longitudinal wave?

A wave in which the oscillations are parallel to the direction of energy transfer.

In a longitudinal wave, what are compressions and rarefactions?

Compressions are regions where the particles are squashed close together; rarefactions are regions where they are spread further apart.

True or false? Sound waves in air are transverse, like ripples on a water surface.

False. Ripples on water are transverse, but sound waves in air are longitudinal.

What evidence shows that it is the wave, not the water, that travels across a water surface?

A floating object bobs up and down as ripples pass but is not carried along with them.

What evidence shows that air itself does not travel from a loudspeaker to your ear?

The air particles only vibrate about fixed positions — no wind or flow of air reaches you, only energy is transferred.