Transverse and Longitudinal Waves
Another way to classify waves is to see what the particles in the medium are doing relative to the direction the wave is traveling.
- Transverse Waves - the particles in the medium oscillate in a direction perpendicular to the way the wave is traveling. A good example is a wave on a string.
- Longitudinal Waves - the particles in the medium oscillate along the same direction as the way the wave is traveling. Sound waves are longitudinal waves.