Final answer:
Sound waves are unique compared to ocean and light waves due to their compressions and rarefactions, as these are properties of longitudinal waves. Both ocean and sound waves have amplitude, wavelength, frequency, and speed, but sound waves compress and expand the medium they travel through.
Step-by-step explanation:
Sound waves differ from ocean and light waves in specific ways, particularly in terms of compressions and rarefactions. Unlike ocean waves which are transverse waves characterized by crests (the highest points) and troughs (the lowest points), sound waves are longitudinal waves, which means their displacement is parallel to the direction of wave propagation. The compressions are regions where the medium through which the sound is traveling is compressed, while rarefactions are regions where the medium is less dense or stretched apart.
Common features like wavelength, amplitude, frequency, and speed are shared among sound, ocean, and light waves. Wavelength is the distance between two contiguous compressions or rarefactions in a sound wave. Amplitude is the maximum displacement of points on a wave, which corresponds to the volume in sound waves. Frequency is the number of waves passing a point per unit time, and speed is how fast the wave travels through a medium.