Here's why:
* Waves in a medium: Waves travel through mediums by transferring energy from one particle to the next. This happens through vibrations or oscillations.
* Compression and Rarefaction: In a longitudinal wave (like a sound wave), the particles of the medium are compressed together in some areas and spread apart in others.
* Compression: The region where particles are close together is called a compression.
* Rarefaction: The region where particles are spread apart is called a rarefaction.
In summary: Rarefactions occur in longitudinal waves when the particles of the medium are farther apart than their resting position.
