Are light waves and sound waves the same kind of wave?

Sound waves are pressure waves, whereas light waves are transverse waves. Sound waves need a medium to travel, whereas light can travel in a vacuum. They are pretty different. There is one sense in which they are related. read more

Sound waves are pressure waves, whereas light waves are transverse waves. Sound waves need a medium to travel, whereas light can travel in a vacuum. They are pretty different. There is one sense in which they are related. Pressure waves are mediated by electrical forces in the particles that transmit them. read more

In solids, those waves can consist of either alternating compressed and stretched regions, or regions wiggling sideways, compared to the direction the wave is traveling. Light is a wave of oscillating electric and magnetic fields perpendicular to the direction it’s going. read more

A change in the frequency of a light wave causes a visual sensation—a difference in color. For a comparison of light waves with sound waves, see table 1-2. read more