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After looking at sound waves in this way, why do you think people prefer to view sound waves transverse waves rather than

longitudinal?

User Gasol
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1 Answer

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If a wave is longitudinal that means that it is travelling in the exact same direction, at the exact same angle as the medium in which it is propagating. You can think of it like a stretched out slinky. If you push the slinky forward a little and then pull it back to its original position, a wave travels in the direction of the slinky's coils. Sound waves are just like that but the medium is all the particles that constitute air.

User Assaf Levy
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