Are sound waves classified as transverse or longitudinal waves?

Sound waves are classified as longitudinal waves because they propagate through a medium by compressing and rarefying the particles in the direction of the wave's travel. In longitudinal waves, the displacement of the medium's particles is parallel to the direction of energy transfer. This is evident in sound waves, where areas of compression occur when air molecules are pushed together and regions of rarefaction occur when they are spread apart.

This classification is crucial to understanding how sound travels through different media, including air, water, and solids. In contrast, transverse waves, like light waves, involve particle movement that is perpendicular to the wave direction, which is not applicable to sound. Thus, the nature of sound wave propagation aligns exclusively with the characteristics of longitudinal waves, confirming the classification.