Why don s-waves pass through liquids?
s-waves (transverse waves) don’t travel through liquids because they cause their particles must move perpendicular to the direction the wave is moving, and the particles in liquids and gases are not normally close enough to support this flow, thus the wave cannot propagate through the medium. …also, i would just like to add to this answer – no offence intended to christinafleur – that her answer is not necessarily correct. She stated that s-waves are slower that p-waves, but that is not always true. An example of a transverse, or ‘s-wave’, is a light wave, which travels at about 3 x 10^8 m/s. On the other hand, an example of a ‘p-wave’, or compressional wave, is sound waves, which travel at about 340 m/s. So, as you can see, transverse waves will sometimes travel faster than compressional waves. Also, just remember that not all s-waves require a rigid medium. Transverse waves can travel along the surface tension of the ocean, creating water waves. Light and electromagnetic waves are
