which type of wave cannot have compressions and rarefactions?
Do transversal waves have compressions/rarefactions? Answers. 1  In longitudinal waves , the direction of vibration of particles are parallel to the direction of the wave motion, Thus compression and rarefaction are there in the longitudinal wave in the direction of the wave. In the case of transverse wave , the particles vibrate in a perpendicular direction, hence there are no compression and rarefaction in a transverse wave in the direction of the wave motion . The previous answer speaks about the small compression and rarefaction in any wave in a direction perpendicular to the wave motion .