Types of Waves
There are two main types of waves, transverse and longitudinal.
Transverse waves
In a transverse wave, the vibrations of the wave are at right angles to the direction of travel, a few examples of this type of wave are:
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Ripples/waves on the surface of the water.
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Electromagnetic waves, eg. light waves, microwaves or radio waves.
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Seismic S-waves.
A way to remember the direction of travel in transverse waves is by using the letter 'r', tRansverse, Right angles.
Longitudinal waves
In a longitudinal wave, the vibrations of the wave travell parallel to the direction of travel, a few examples of a longitudinal wave are:
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Seismic P-waves
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Ultrasound waves
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Sound waves
Longitudinal waves look like this:
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A way to remember the direction of travel is that the lines in this diagram are parallel or with the letter Parallel, seismic P-waves