Which statement describes a transverse wave?

Which statement describes a transverse wave?

• A. A wave in which the vibration of the medium is parallel to the direction the wave travels
• B. A wave that moves the medium in a direction perpendicular to the direction the wave travels
• C. The part of a longitudinal wave where the particles are spread apart
• D. The highest point of a transverse wave

Answer: (B)

A transverse wave is defined by the medium’s motion being perpendicular to the direction the wave travels. In these waves, particles move up and down (or side to side) while the wave itself moves forward, as seen when a string is plucked: the string oscillates vertically while the wave travels along its length. This perpendicular relationship is what distinguishes transverse waves from longitudinal waves, where the medium vibrates in the same direction as the wave travels, causing compressions and rarefactions. The statement that captures this perpendicular motion is the correct description of a transverse wave. The other ideas describe related features but not the fundamental direction of the medium’s vibration: a longitudinal wave’s motion is parallel to travel, a region where particles spread apart is a rarefaction in a longitudinal wave, and the highest point refers to a crest on the wave’s shape rather than how the medium moves relative to travel.

A transverse wave is defined by the medium’s motion being perpendicular to the direction the wave travels. In these waves, particles move up and down (or side to side) while the wave itself moves forward, as seen when a string is plucked: the string oscillates vertically while the wave travels along its length. This perpendicular relationship is what distinguishes transverse waves from longitudinal waves, where the medium vibrates in the same direction as the wave travels, causing compressions and rarefactions. The statement that captures this perpendicular motion is the correct description of a transverse wave. The other ideas describe related features but not the fundamental direction of the medium’s vibration: a longitudinal wave’s motion is parallel to travel, a region where particles spread apart is a rarefaction in a longitudinal wave, and the highest point refers to a crest on the wave’s shape rather than how the medium moves relative to travel.