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What are the four types of sound waves?

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Sound waves can be classified into four main types based on their behavior and interaction with the medium they travel through. These are:

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### 1. **Longitudinal Waves**
- **Characteristics**:
  - The particle displacement in the medium is parallel to the direction of wave propagation.
  - Composed of compressions (areas of high pressure) and rarefactions (areas of low pressure).
- **Example**: Sound traveling through air or water. Vibrating air molecules oscillate along the same direction as the wave movement.

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### 2. **Transverse Waves**
- **Characteristics**:
  - The particle displacement in the medium is perpendicular to the direction of wave propagation.
  - Often visualized as up-and-down oscillations relative to wave travel.
- **Example**: Although most sound waves in fluids (air, liquids) are longitudinal, sound waves in solid materials can sometimes behave as transverse waves.

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### 3. **Surface Waves**
- **Characteristics**:
  - A combination of longitudinal and transverse wave motions.
  - Occur at the interface between two different media, such as air and water.
  - Particles move in circular or elliptical paths.
- **Example**: Ocean waves and seismic waves on the Earth's surface.

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### 4. **Stationary Waves (Standing Waves)**
- **Characteristics**:
  - Formed by the superposition of two waves traveling in opposite directions with the same frequency and amplitude.
  - Do not travel through the medium; instead, they create nodes (points of no displacement) and antinodes (points of maximum displacement).
- **Example**: Sound waves in a musical instrument like a guitar string or a flute.

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### Summary Table:

| **Wave Type**        | **Direction of Particle Motion**      | **Medium**         | **Examples**                            |
|-----------------------|---------------------------------------|--------------------|-----------------------------------------|
| Longitudinal          | Parallel to wave direction           | Air, water         | Speech, music through air               |
| Transverse            | Perpendicular to wave direction      | Solids             | Vibrations on a stretched string        |
| Surface               | Circular or elliptical paths         | Interface (e.g., air/water) | Ocean waves, seismic surface waves  |
| Stationary (Standing) | Varies based on nodes/antinodes      | Solids, gases      | Musical instruments, sound in a tube    |

Each type of sound wave arises from specific conditions and interactions, playing a vital role in understanding acoustics and wave mechanics.
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