Longitudinal waves:
- In longitudinal waves, the particles of the medium vibrate parallel to the direction that the wave is travelling.
- For instance, imagine a slinky spring: when you create a longitudinal wave by pulling and pushing one end of the spring back and forth, the coils of the spring move in the same direction as the wave.
- Sound waves in air are also longitudinal: air molecules vibrate back and forth in the same direction as the sound wave travels.
Transverse waves:
- In transverse waves, the particles of the medium vibrate perpendicular (at right angles) to the direction that the wave is travelling.
- A classic example of a transverse wave is a wave on a string or rope: when you wiggle one end of the rope up and down, the individual segments of the rope move up and down, perpendicular to the direction in which the wave travels along the rope.
- Electromagnetic waves, such as light and radio waves, are also transverse waves, involving the oscillation of electric and magnetic fields perpendicular to the direction of propagation.
In summary, longitudinal waves have vibrations parallel to the direction of propagation, while transverse waves have vibrations perpendicular to the direction of propagation.
