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.
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