Light waves are

Light waves are

progressive in nature.
mechanical in nature.
longitudinal in nature.
transverse in nature.
This question was previously asked in
UPSC CISF-AC-EXE – 2021
Light waves are electromagnetic waves, which means they are fluctuations of electric and magnetic fields. Electromagnetic waves, including light, are characterized by their transverse nature, where the oscillations of the fields are perpendicular to the direction of wave propagation.
Transverse waves have oscillations perpendicular to the direction of energy transfer (propagation).
Longitudinal waves have oscillations parallel to the direction of energy transfer (propagation), like sound waves in air.
Light is non-mechanical; it does not require a medium to travel.
The electromagnetic spectrum includes various types of waves like radio waves, microwaves, infrared radiation, visible light, ultraviolet radiation, X-rays, and gamma rays, all of which are transverse electromagnetic waves.