poikittaisvärähtelyt

Poikittaisvärähtelyt, also known as transverse vibrations, are a type of wave motion where the oscillations are perpendicular to the direction of energy transfer or wave propagation. Imagine plucking a guitar string; the string moves up and down, while the wave travels horizontally along the string. This perpendicular relationship between displacement and direction of travel is the defining characteristic of a transverse wave.

Common examples of transverse vibrations include waves on a string, light waves, and seismic S-waves. In a string, the particles of the string oscillate perpendicular to the string's length. Light, being an electromagnetic wave, consists of oscillating electric and magnetic fields that are perpendicular to each other and to the direction the light travels. Seismic S-waves are secondary waves generated by earthquakes that travel through the Earth's interior by causing particles to move back and forth at right angles to the direction the wave is moving.

The speed of a transverse wave depends on the properties of the medium through which it is traveling. For a wave on a string, this includes the tension in the string and its linear density (mass per unit length). In general, transverse waves can be polarized, meaning the direction of oscillation can be restricted to a specific plane. This property is not possible with longitudinal waves, where the oscillations are parallel to the direction of wave propagation.