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  • Word comparison: transverse wave vs. longitudinal wave

transverse wave vs. longitudinal wave

transverse wave vs. longitudinal wave: 's the difference?

Transverse waves cause the medium they’re moving through (such as air or water) to move perpendicular to the direction of the wave—that is, across from the direction it’s moving (e.g., surface waves). Longitudinal waves cause the medium to move parallel to the direction of the wave—in other words, in the same direction it’s moving (e.g., sound waves).

noun

Physics.
  1. a wave in which the direction of displacement is perpendicular to the direction of propagation, as a surface wave of water.


noun

Physics.
  1. a wave in which the direction of displacement is the same as the direction of propagation, as a sound wave.