Multiple choice

Transverse waves can propagate

  1. both in gas and metal

  2. in gas but not in metal

  3. in metal but not in gas

  4. neither in gas nor in metal
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Transverse waves require a medium with shear strength to propagate, which is a characteristic of solids like metals. In gases and liquids, the lack of rigid molecular bonds prevents the transmission of transverse motion, allowing only longitudinal waves. Therefore, transverse waves can travel through metals but not through gases.

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