Introduction to waves | Mechanical waves and sound | Physics | Khan Academy

When a wave travels along a rope, how do the individual parts of the rope move?

• They move along with the wave in the same direction.

• They move in circles.

• They move up and down or side to side, but stay in roughly the same place.

• They disappear and reappear as the wave passes.

What is the primary characteristic of a wave?

• A wave is a disturbance that stays in one place.

• A wave is a disturbance that propagates through space.

• A wave is a physical object that moves from one point to another.

• A wave is a type of energy that disappears quickly.

What is the term for the material or substance through which a wave travels?

• Conductor

• Medium

• Channel

• Pathway

What does a wave typically carry as it moves through space?

• Matter

• Sound

• Energy

• Light

What is a wave?

• A type of light that travels through space.

• A disturbance that moves through space, usually transferring energy.

• A solid object that vibrates back and forth.

• A stationary pattern of energy.

How are sound waves created in the air?

• By air molecules moving up and down.

• By light particles traveling through the air.

• By air molecules being pushed together (compressed) and then spreading out.

• By a string vibrating perpendicular to the direction of travel.

What type of wave is a sound wave?

• Transverse wave

• Electromagnetic wave

• Longitudinal wave

• Surface wave

What is the key difference between a transverse wave and a longitudinal wave?

• Transverse waves transfer energy, while longitudinal waves do not.

• The direction the medium moves compared to the direction the wave travels.

• Transverse waves can travel through a vacuum, but longitudinal waves cannot.

• Longitudinal waves have a higher frequency than transverse waves.