Answer to Question #122535 in General Chemistry for Harleen Bajwa

Question

How do particles move when a transverse wave passes through a medium?
A) along circular or elliptical paths
B) through a compression followed by a rarefaction
C) up to a crest, then down through a trough, then back

D) in wavelengths and amplitudes

Answer 1

Answer should be (c).

In a transverse wave the particle displacement is perpendicular to the direction of wave propagation. ... The particles do not move along with the wave; they simply oscillate up and down about their individual equilibrium positions as the wave passes by. Pick a single particle and watch its motion.