Transverse vs Longitudinal
Interactive simulation — adjust parameters and watch the visualization update in real time.
How it works
Side-by-side visualization of the same sinusoidal traveling wave: transverse motion keeps particles near fixed x while they oscillate up and down; longitudinal motion slides particles along the propagation direction, stretching and squeezing the spacing (spring segments).
Key equations
Transverse: y(x,t) = A sin(kx − ωt), k = 2π/λ
Longitudinal: u(x,t) = A sin(kx − ωt), x′ = x + u