Name three examples of transverse waves.

Light and all other electromagnetic waves, ripples on a water surface and waves on a stretched string are transverse.

Name two examples of longitudinal waves.

Sound travelling through air and the primary (P) waves of an earthquake are longitudinal.

What are the compressions and rarefactions of a sound wave?

Compressions are regions where the air particles are bunched together so the pressure is above normal, and rarefactions are regions where they are spread apart so the pressure is below normal.

In a longitudinal wave, what corresponds to the crest of a transverse wave?

A compression corresponds to a crest, as the region of maximum pressure and density, and a rarefaction corresponds to a trough, as the region of minimum pressure; the particle displacement at both is zero.

CCEA A-Level Physics 1210

Physical Quantities, Scalars and Vectors

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Waves

Transverse and longitudinal waves

3 things to know
Unit AS 2

Overview

Transverse wave, longitudinal wave and compressions and rarefactions of a sound wave.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Your recallNot started

Key term

Why can sound travel through water but a transverse mechanical wave generally cannot travel through the body of a liquid?

Key term

What is a transverse wave?

Key term

What is a longitudinal wave?

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1
What is a transverse wave?
Model answer
A transverse wave is one in which the oscillations are at right angles to the direction in which the wave transfers energy.
2
What is a longitudinal wave?
Model answer
A longitudinal wave is one in which the oscillations are parallel to the direction in which the wave transfers energy.
3
Name three examples of transverse waves.
Model answer
Light and all other electromagnetic waves, ripples on a water surface and waves on a stretched string are transverse.
4
Name two examples of longitudinal waves.
Model answer
Sound travelling through air and the primary (P) waves of an earthquake are longitudinal.
5
What are the compressions and rarefactions of a sound wave?
Model answer
Compressions are regions where the air particles are bunched together so the pressure is above normal, and rarefactions are regions where they are spread apart so the pressure is below normal.
6
In a longitudinal wave, what corresponds to the crest of a transverse wave?
Model answer
A compression corresponds to a crest, as the region of maximum pressure and density, and a rarefaction corresponds to a trough, as the region of minimum pressure; the particle displacement at both is zero.

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