longitudinal waves
nounUK /ˌlɒŋ.ɡɪˈtjuː.dɪ.nəl weɪvz/
US /ˌlɑːn.dʒəˈtuː.də.nəl weɪvz/
Longitudinal waves are waves that push and pull in the same direction they travel.
Sound traveling through the air is made of longitudinal waves.
OTHER MEANINGS
2. Waves in which the particles of the medium move parallel to the direction the wave moves.
A slinky spring shows longitudinal waves when you push and pull its end.
3. A type of mechanical wave that needs a medium, like air or water, to travel through.
Earthquake P-waves are longitudinal waves that travel through the ground.
4. Waves where areas of squeezing (compression) and spreading (rarefaction) move along.
In a sound wave, the compressions and rarefactions form longitudinal waves.