What is a Wave?
Can you make a wave? Drop a small rock into a pond or puddle of water. What do you notice? Waves can be seen spreading out or radiating in all directions from the place where the rock hit the water. Waves are a common phenomenon. We see them all the time in bodies of water, such as lakes and oceans. We can create waves by snapping a rope or plucking a guitar string. We even rely on instruments, such as radio antennae and satellite dishes, to pick up waves. This lesson deals with some of the types of waves that can be created in nature, and by you!
Types of Waves
A wave is simply a way by which energy can be moved through a material without actually moving the material itself. For example, when you snap a rope, you create a wave of energy that moves down the length of the rope, even though the end of the rope remains in your hand. Sound is a type of energy that requires waves traveling through matter. The material or substance through which a wave may travel is called the medium. The medium for a wave can be any of the common states of matter: solid, liquid, or gas.
There are three basic kinds of waves:
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compression waves
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transverse waves
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surface waves