Final answer:
The wave activated by an outside heat source such as a hair dryer is an electromagnetic wave, which is a type of transverse wave.
waves differ from sound waves, which are longitudinal waves.
Step-by-step explanation:
The type of wave activated by an outside heat source, such as a conventional hood-type hair dryer, is an electromagnetic wave.
waves, which include infrared radiation produced by the hair dryer, are transverse waves. In a transverse wave, the oscillations, or disturbances, are perpendicular to the direction of wave propagation.
This is different from sound waves, which are longitudinal waves and involve oscillations parallel to the wave direction, being transmitted through air or water as periodic variations in pressure.
Microwave ovens also produce electromagnetic radiation, but at frequencies that cause water molecules to rotate, transforming electromagnetic energy into heat.
Thus, both hair dryers and microwave ovens use electromagnetic waves to transfer energy and generate heat, but they operate at different wavelengths and frequencies within the electromagnetic spectrum.