Wave Properties

- A wave is a disturbance or vibration which propagates along a
medium. An example is the waves on a water surface.


- Mechanical wave is a wave that needs a medium in which the wave propagates. An example is waves in a rope, because they need media for their propagation.


- Electromagnetic wave is a wave that does not need any media to propagate. Such examples are signal of a cell-phone.


- Transverse wave is an element of a wave that is always in the form of a peak and valley. One complete wave has one peak and one valley. It is either on the rope, on water, or on slinky (long, flat spring made of steel).

- Longitdinal wave does not have peaks and valleys unlike transverse wave, instead, it has compression and expansion part. A complete wave has one compression and one expansion part. An example is vibration in gases.

- A wave length is the length of a wave consists of one peak and one valley.


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http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_the_example_of_longitudinal_waves
2B Science Book