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In a transverse wave, the peak and trough are like compression and rarefaction in a wave moving through a slinky. The peak is where the particles are closest together, similar to compression in a slinky, while the trough is where the particles are farthest apart, akin to rarefaction in a slinky.

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What is the difference between compression and rarefaction?

Compression is the phase of a sound wave where molecules are pushed together, resulting in an increase in pressure. Rarefaction is the phase where molecules are spread apart, causing a decrease in pressure. Together, these two phases create the waveform of a sound wave.


Do rarefactions and compressions travel in the same direction?

Yes, rarefactions and compressions travel in the same direction in a longitudinal wave. A rarefaction is when particles are spaced further apart, and a compression is when particles are closer together, moving in the same direction through the medium.


What form does sound travel through a medium in?

Sound travels through a medium in the form of longitudinal waves, where particles of the medium oscillate back and forth in the same direction as the wave is moving. This compression and rarefaction of the medium's particles transmit the sound energy from the source to our ears.


What kind of waves does sound travel?

Sound travels in the form of longitudinal waves, which means the particles in the medium vibrate back and forth in the same direction as the wave is moving. This creates areas of compression and rarefaction, which propagate through the medium to carry the sound.


Are sound waves a transverse wave?

No, sound waves are not transverse waves; they are longitudinal waves. In a transverse wave, the particles of the medium vibrate perpendicular to the direction of the wave propagation, while in a longitudinal wave, the particles vibrate parallel to the direction of the wave. In the case of sound waves, the particles of the medium (such as air molecules) oscillate back and forth in the same direction as the wave is moving, creating areas of compression and rarefaction.

Related Questions

What are the kinds of waving?

There are two basic types of waves : transverse and longitudinal. Transverse waves are like a wavy line. They consist of a single pulse of energy moving in a curved and wavy way. Light waves are transverse. Longitudinal waves consist of rarefactions and compressions. In a rarefaction, the particles are very sparse. In a compression, the particles are very dense. Sound waves are longitudinal.


What is the area of compression and rarefaction?

Compression is a Pushing Force whereas Rarefaction is a Pulling Force[Compression is the point when the most force is being applied to a molecule&Rarefaction is the point when the least force is applied].Compression happens when particles are forced/pressed together.Rarefaction is just the opposite,it occurs when particles are given extra space&allowed to expand.Compression&Rarefaction are Effects the wave causes.If you look at any normal visual representation of a Sound Wave,the humps above the middle line are called Compressions,the humps below are called Rarefactions.


Why are Longitudinal waves sometimes referred to as pressure waves?

Longitudinal waves involve the compression and rarefaction of a medium in the same direction as the wave is moving. This compression and rarefaction lead to changes in pressure within the medium, giving rise to the term "pressure waves".


What is the difference between compression and rarefaction?

Compression is the phase of a sound wave where molecules are pushed together, resulting in an increase in pressure. Rarefaction is the phase where molecules are spread apart, causing a decrease in pressure. Together, these two phases create the waveform of a sound wave.


Do rarefactions and compressions travel in the same direction?

Yes, rarefactions and compressions travel in the same direction in a longitudinal wave. A rarefaction is when particles are spaced further apart, and a compression is when particles are closer together, moving in the same direction through the medium.


What form does sound travel through a medium in?

Sound travels through a medium in the form of longitudinal waves, where particles of the medium oscillate back and forth in the same direction as the wave is moving. This compression and rarefaction of the medium's particles transmit the sound energy from the source to our ears.


What kind of waves does sound travel?

Sound travels in the form of longitudinal waves, which means the particles in the medium vibrate back and forth in the same direction as the wave is moving. This creates areas of compression and rarefaction, which propagate through the medium to carry the sound.


Are sound waves a transverse wave?

No, sound waves are not transverse waves; they are longitudinal waves. In a transverse wave, the particles of the medium vibrate perpendicular to the direction of the wave propagation, while in a longitudinal wave, the particles vibrate parallel to the direction of the wave. In the case of sound waves, the particles of the medium (such as air molecules) oscillate back and forth in the same direction as the wave is moving, creating areas of compression and rarefaction.


How do particles move in longitudinal waves?

In longitudinal waves, particles move parallel to the direction of the wave propagation. This means that as the wave travels through a medium, particles oscillate back and forth in the same direction that the wave is moving. This motion creates areas of compression and rarefaction in the medium, leading to the propagation of the wave.


What transverse wave means?

The particles in a transverse wave are displaced perpendicularly to the direction of the wave motion. For example, water waves are transverse waves. Think of how in the sea, the wave is moving towards the shore, but the water goes up and down. The water molecules are being displaced vertically, but the wave itself is moving horizontally. This is the characteristic motion of a transverse wave. Transverse waves are also able to move through a vacuum. Light, for example, is a transverse wave, and it can move through space, which is a vacuum. (A longitudinal wave, on the other hand, has particles which move in the same direction as the wave, and cannot travel through a vacuum. For example, sound waves.)


Is a Mexican wave as seen among the crowds at some sporting events a transverse wave or a compression wave?

A Mexican wave is a physical phenomenon where people stand up and sit down in succession, creating a visible pattern moving around a stadium. It is not a wave in the physics sense; instead, it is a form of crowd participation and entertainment. There is no actual wave propagation like in transverse or compression waves.


What is the difference in compression and rarefaction between a loud sound and a soft sound?

The difference in compression and rarefaction between a loud and a soft sound is the change in density of the medium conducting the sound. We know that sound is a mechanical wave, and it requires a medium through which to travel. (Sound transfers its energy into the medium to propagate.) Let's do an experiment taking air for the medium and look closely at what is happening.We've got an amp connected to a speaker and a constant signal being amplified. The signal has a characteristic frequency and amplitude. Air is being compressed and rarefied as the speaker cone moves out and in (respectively) to create the sound. Now we'll turn up the volume and look again.What we saw before will change in that the speaker cone will move farther out and in than it did before. It will still move at the same rate as it did because the frequency of our signal did not change. But because it is moving further out, it will compress air "more" than it did before the volume was increased. There will also be a correspondingly greater "decompression" of air when the speaker cone moves back. Air density will be greater in the compression phase at the new amplitude than it was. And air density will be less in the rarefaction phase at the new amplitude than it was.The difference in compression and rarefaction between loud and soft sound is the relative density of the medium during these portions of the wave. Certainly if the sound is moving through a liquid or solid, there will be a much lower change of density of the medium as liquids and solids are largely incompressible by sound. But the idea is the same as it is in the model of sound moving through air.