A wave in which the vibration is at right angles to the direction of travel?

• A. Longitudinal Wave
• B. Transverse Wave
• C. Rarefaction
• D. Density

Answer: (B)

In a transverse wave, the vibration is at right angles to the direction the wave travels. The medium moves up and down (or side to side) while the wave moves forward, creating crests and troughs that are perpendicular to the travel direction. This is different from a longitudinal wave, where the particles move back and forth along the same line as the wave travels, with compressions and rarefactions along the path. A rarefaction is simply one region of lower density within a longitudinal wave, not a description of the wave’s motion direction itself. Density describes how much matter is in a given space, which is a property of the medium, not a type of wave.