Cambridge O Level Physics · Syllabus 5054 · Waves
Transverse Wave
What is Transverse Wave?
A transverse wave is one in which the direction of vibration is at right angles to the direction of energy transfer; examples include electromagnetic radiation, water-surface waves and seismic S-waves.
This definition is part of the Waves chapter in Cambridge O Level Physics.
Transverse Wave in context
The electromagnetic spectrum is one continuous family of transverse waves that all travel at \(3.0 \times 10^{8}\) m/s in a vacuum (and at approximately the same speed in air), transfer energy, and need no material medium. In order of increasing frequency and therefore decreasing wavelength the main regions are: radio, microwave, infrared, visible, ultraviolet, X-ray, gamma. Each region is used for the jobs its particular frequency and wavelength suit, and the hazards rise sharply at the high-frequency end, where the radiation becomes ionising.
Examiner tips on Transverse Wave
- Answering “state the difference”. A difference needs both halves and a stated reference direction. “Transverse vibrates up and down” states nothing on its own, because up and down is meaningless without saying what it is relative to. Write: “In a transverse wave the vibration is at right angles to the direction of energy transfer; in a longitudinal wave the vibration is parallel to it.”
Questions students ask about Transverse Wave
What is the difference between a transverse wave and a longitudinal wave?
In a transverse wave the particles vibrate at right angles to the direction of energy transfer, as in electromagnetic radiation, water-surface waves and seismic S-waves. In a longitudinal wave the particles vibrate parallel to the direction of energy transfer, producing compressions and rarefactions, as in sound waves and seismic P-waves. Both types transfer energy without transferring matter, and both obey \(v = f\lambda\).