Shear waves are which type of waves?

Shear waves are which type of waves?

• A. Longitudinal
• B. Transverse
• C. Surface
• D. Standing

Answer: (B)

Shear waves involve movement of the medium perpendicular to the direction the wave is traveling, so they are transverse waves. The restoring force that enables them comes from the medium’s rigidity (its ability to resist shear deformation), which is why the particle motion is at right angles to the propagation direction. This is different from longitudinal waves, where particles move parallel to travel (compression/rarefaction along the path). Surface waves have motion tied to a boundary and often combine vertical and horizontal components near that boundary, while standing waves describe a stationary pattern from interference rather than a basic wave type. So, shear waves are best described as transverse.

Shear waves involve movement of the medium perpendicular to the direction the wave is traveling, so they are transverse waves. The restoring force that enables them comes from the medium’s rigidity (its ability to resist shear deformation), which is why the particle motion is at right angles to the propagation direction. This is different from longitudinal waves, where particles move parallel to travel (compression/rarefaction along the path). Surface waves have motion tied to a boundary and often combine vertical and horizontal components near that boundary, while standing waves describe a stationary pattern from interference rather than a basic wave type. So, shear waves are best described as transverse.