Transverse Wave

Real World Example

Imagine you're at a crowded concert trying to push your way through the throng of people to get closer to the stage. Much like your struggle to move forward while people are jostling side to side, a transverse wave moves particles of matter at right angles to the wave's direction of travel. Just as your forward movement is affected by the lateral movements of the crowd, in a transverse wave, the particles move up and down or side to side, perpendicular to the wave's forward motion, much like the crowd's sideways shifts as you try to advance.