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Give a real world example of a transverse wave?

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Final answer:

A transverse wave example is light waves where disturbance is perpendicular to the direction of wave travel, while sound waves are a longitudinal wave example with parallel disturbance and wave propagation.

Step-by-step explanation:

A real-world example of a transverse wave is light waves or electromagnetic waves. In transverse waves, the disturbance in the medium is perpendicular to the direction of wave travel. For instance, light waves, as seen when light is passing through space or when we view the wave crests from above, are similar to looking at the crests of ocean waves. The disturbance here would be the oscillating electric and magnetic fields that are orthogonal to the direction of propagation.

In contrast, sound waves are an example of a longitudinal wave, where the particles of the medium move in a direction parallel to the wave's movement. An example is when a sound wave travels through the air, the air molecules compress and rarely in the same direction the wave is traveling. This demonstrates that in longitudinal waves, the direction of particle displacement is the same as the direction of wave propagation.

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