Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Transverse and Longitudinal Waves

If the motion of particles is perpendicular to the the direction of propogation of wave, these waves are called Transverse waves. If the motion of the particles is parallel to the direction of propogation of wave, its called the Longitudinal wave.

Simplest examples:
Waves on a rope: Transverse
Sound Waves: Longitudinal

Light is a transverse wave, the E and B fields change perpendicular to
the motion of wave...

3 comments:

Unknown said...

Sometimes I feel I could have made so much more meaning out of my IIT education if only I had a good basis, or rather a better ability to grasp things/ideas faster! I know it is a paradox - getting into IIT and not being good at basics. What I mean is probably what is faced by all 1st timers in any field - It is so much difficult to understand a theory or an idea without knowing or seeing how it works in practice or how something similar works in practice. Examples are so very important! So interlace your posts with lots and lots of examples and make it easier for a 1st time reader to understand it easier - Try to compete with the best book you have read on the topic!! NO, I am NOT saying that your posts do not have examples and that they are difficult to read. They are great! I am only putting forth a thought that came into my head :-)

Abhay Karnataki said...

Sure, Rintu, I would like to describe the physics starting from where the reader understands. I would find it of great help to receive questions from the readers, so that I can start writing blogs in form of answers!

Physics is vast, and its better if I stick to what readers want to know!

L. Venkata Subramaniam said...

i like the way you have explained theoretical concepts in a very practical way.