Transverse wave
Article
A transverse wave is a wave in which the displacement of the medium or field is perpendicular to the direction in which the wave propagates. A wave on a stretched string is a familiar mechanical example.
Electromagnetic waves are transverse because their electric and magnetic fields oscillate perpendicular to the direction of travel. In an isotropic medium, the two possible transverse directions correspond to different polarisations.
Solids can support transverse shear waves because they resist changes of shape, while ordinary fluids cannot support sustained shear waves in their bulk. Seismic S-waves therefore travel through solid rock but not through Earth's liquid outer core.
Transverse waves can reflect, refract, interfere, diffract, and form standing patterns. Their polarisation and propagation are important in optics, communications, seismology, elasticity, and vibration analysis.
Source details and credits
- Source / publisher: Wikipedia
- URL type: WWW
- Credits: Wikipedia
- URL: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transverse_wave