Types of waves - SS3 Physics Lesson Note

Transverse and Longitudinal

Transverse and Longitudinal waves are in a class of wave types known as Mechanical waves. Simply put, Mechanical waves are the type of waves that require a particle-filled medium and use the particles in that medium to propagate. That is to say, any wave that travels through a medium with particles (matter) can be considered to be a mechanical wave. In contrast, mechanical waves cannot travel through vacuums (empty spaces) like electromagnetic waves (e.g., visible light, microwaves, x-rays, gamma rays, ultraviolet waves infrared waves). Examples of Mechanical waves include sound waves which use air molecules, water waves which use water molecules and seismic waves which use the earth’s crust as their particle-filled mediums. 

Transverse Waves

This is the kind of mechanical wave that involves particles of the medium travelling perpendicularly to the direction of the wave’s propagation. Simple examples include water waves in ripple tanks, waves on tight ropes, and light waves from flashlights.

 

Longitudinal waves

This is the kind of mechanical wave in which the particles of the medium travel parallel to the direction of the propagation of the wave. A simple example includes sound waves from musical instruments.