The opposite of a compression wave is a rarefaction wave. In a compression wave, particles are close together, whereas in a rarefaction wave, particles are spread out.
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A rarefaction is a region in a longitudinal wave where the particles are spread out, resulting in a decrease in pressure and density compared to the surrounding medium. It is the opposite of a compression in a wave.
In a transverse wave, the crest corresponds to a compression in a longitudinal wave.
The spread out portion of a compression wave is called a rarefaction. In a compression wave, the particles are compressed together in the compression phase and spread out in the rarefaction phase.
The compression of a wave is located where the particles of the medium are closest together.
A rarefaction is a region in a sound wave where the particles are spread out, resulting in lower pressure than the surrounding areas. This is in contrast to a compression, where particles are closer together and pressure is higher. Rarefactions and compressions alternate in a sound wave as it travels through a medium.