Sound waves travelling through air are classified as which type of mechanical waves?
Longitudinal waves
Sound waves require a material medium to travel, so they are mechanical waves, unlike electromagnetic waves which do not need a medium.
In air, sound propagates through alternate compressions and rarefactions, where the air particles vibrate parallel to the direction of wave propagation.
Waves in which particle vibration is parallel to the direction of propagation are called longitudinal waves, unlike transverse waves where vibration is perpendicular to propagation.
Hence, the correct answer is that sound waves in air are longitudinal waves.
Similar Questions
A sound signal used for checking resonance in an air-duct system has a frequency of 850 Hz. The speed of sound in air is 340 m/s. What is the wavelength of the sound wave?
A sound pulse is sent towards a cliff and an echo is heard after 1.5 s (round trip time). If the speed of sound in air is 340 m/s, the distance of the cliff from the source is :
In which of the following media is the speed of sound the greatest under normal conditions ?
Important Questions from Waves
- A high-pitch and a low-pitch sound have ________, respectively.
- The radar used by police to check over-speeding vehicles works on the principle of
- Which one of the following is NOT an electromagnetic wave?
- Wavelength and frequency of a radio wave are 12 m and 25 × 106 Hz respectively. Calculate its velocity.
Ultrasonic pulse echo technique, a non-destructive ultrasonic testing, is employed for any possible flaw detection in a metallic bar of thikness 30 cm. If the arrival times of the ultrasonic pulses are 45 μs and 90 μs respectively, the distance of the flaw from one end of the steel bar at which the ultrasonic pulse initially enters the steel bar, will be:
