Final answer:
Longitudinal waves, also referred to as push-pull waves or compressional waves, involve particles in the medium moving parallel to the wave's direction. In contrast, transverse waves, such as light, have oscillations perpendicular to their direction of propagation and can be polarized. Both types of waves can exhibit periodic motion and interact to affect wave amplitude.
Step-by-step explanation:
The waves that are also known as push-pull waves are longitudinal waves or compressional waves. In longitudinal waves, the particles of the medium move parallel to the direction of the wave motion. This contrasts with transverse waves, where the particles move perpendicular to the direction of wave propagation. For example, seismic P-waves (primary waves) are a type of longitudinal wave, and they are the fastest waves generated by an earthquake.
In transverse waves, which include electromagnetic waves like light, the oscillations occur in a plane perpendicular to the wave's direction of travel. The relative orientation of these oscillations leads to the property known as polarization. For instance, when light passes through a polarizer, only the part of the wave with the electric field in the same orientation as the polarizer is allowed through, demonstrating wave polarization.
It is important to note that both longitudinal and transverse waves can be periodic and can also interact with each other, leading to variations in the resulting wave's amplitude.