Longitudinal and transverse waves

[Rashid101]

hey friends please solve my problem
Both longitudinal and transverse waves can propagate through a solid. A wave on the surface of a liquid can involve both longitudinal and transverse motion of elements of the medium. On the other hand, a wave propagating through the volume of a fluid must be purely longitudinal, not transverse. Why?

 

[crazy_photon]

I think because in the 'bulk' of the fluid there's no restoring force except to the compression -- hence longitudinal wave. At the surface because there's an interface, there's a restoring force that can support transverse oscillation to the direction of propagation.

 

[nlightner]

This is because the particles in a fluid are free to move in any direction, making it difficult for transverse waves to maintain their direction of oscillation. Additionally, a transverse wave requires a restoring force to keep the particles in motion, and in a fluid, this force is quickly dissipated due to the fluid's viscosity. Therefore, longitudinal waves are able to propagate more efficiently through a fluid medium. I hope this helps solve your problem.