Step 1: Understand what a wave is. A wave is a disturbance that travels through a medium (like air, water, or solids).
Step 2: Learn about the two main types of waves: longitudinal and transverse. Longitudinal waves have particles that move back and forth in the same direction as the wave travels, while transverse waves have particles that move up and down or side to side, perpendicular to the wave direction.
Step 3: Identify how sound travels. Sound travels by causing particles in the air (or other mediums) to vibrate back and forth.
Step 4: Recognize that in sound waves, the particle movement is parallel to the direction the sound is moving.
Step 5: Conclude that because of this parallel movement, sound is classified as a longitudinal wave.
