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When a sound wave passes through air, how do the air particles move relative to the wave's direction of travel?
APerpendicular to the wave direction
BThey remain completely still
CIn random directions only
DAlong the wave direction
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: D. Along the wave direction
1. Sound is a longitudinal wave.
2. In a longitudinal wave the particles oscillate parallel to the direction of propagation.
3. So air particles vibrate along the wave direction, forming compressions and rarefactions.
4. Perpendicular motion belongs to transverse waves, not sound.
_Source: Samacheer Kalvi (TN SCERT) Class 10 Science, Unit 5 Acoustics "Acoustics", p.66_
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