Waves and sound are related concepts but refer to different phenomena:
Waves: Waves are disturbances that transfer energy from one location to another without a transfer of matter. They can occur in various forms, including electromagnetic waves (such as light and radio waves) and mechanical waves (such as water waves and seismic waves). Waves are characterized by their wavelength, frequency, amplitude, and speed.
Sound: Sound, on the other hand, is a specific type of mechanical wave that is produced by the vibration of matter. It is a form of energy that travels through a medium, such as air, water, or solids. When an object vibrates, it creates compressions and rarefactions in the surrounding medium, resulting in the propagation of sound waves.
The main difference between waves in general and sound waves lies in the nature of the medium through which they propagate. Sound waves require a material medium to travel, whereas some waves, such as electromagnetic waves, can propagate through a vacuum (like in space) where there is no physical medium.
Furthermore, sound waves are longitudinal waves, meaning that the particles in the medium vibrate parallel to the direction of wave propagation. In contrast, electromagnetic waves are transverse waves, where the oscillations occur perpendicular to the direction of wave motion.
While sound waves are a type of wave, not all waves are sound waves. Waves can encompass a broader range of phenomena, including light waves, radio waves, ocean waves, seismic waves, and more. Sound waves, specifically, are responsible for our perception of sound and are characterized by their frequency (related to pitch) and amplitude (related to loudness).