Tverrbølger

Tverrbølger, also known as transverse waves, are a type of wave characterized by the oscillation of the medium being perpendicular to the direction of energy transfer. Imagine a rope being shaken up and down. The wave travels horizontally along the rope, but the individual segments of the rope move vertically, up and down. This perpendicular motion defines a transverse wave.

Light waves are a prime example of transverse waves, being electromagnetic waves that propagate through space with their electric and magnetic fields oscillating perpendicular to their direction of travel. Other common examples include waves on a string, ripples on the surface of water (though these also have a longitudinal component), and seismic S-waves, which are secondary waves generated by earthquakes that travel through the Earth's interior.

The key properties of a transverse wave include its amplitude, which is the maximum displacement from the equilibrium position; its wavelength, the distance between successive crests or troughs; and its frequency, the number of waves that pass a point per unit time. The speed of a transverse wave is determined by the properties of the medium through which it propagates. For example, the speed of a wave on a string depends on the tension in the string and its mass per unit length. Understanding tverrbølger is fundamental to many areas of physics, from optics and acoustics to seismology and fluid dynamics.