1Section 1 of 1About 1 min
Wave Motion: Core Idea
- A wave is a travelling disturbance that transfers energy and momentum from one place to another without a net transport of matter.
- Particles of a material medium may oscillate about their mean positions, but they do not travel along with the wave over long distances.
- A wave is generally characterised by amplitude, wavelength, frequency, time period, phase and wave speed.
- Waves may be classified as mechanical waves, electromagnetic waves and matter waves.
| Wave type | Essential feature | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Mechanical | Requires a material medium with elasticity and inertia | Sound, water waves, waves on a string, seismic waves |
| Electromagnetic | Oscillating electric and magnetic fields; no material medium required | Radio waves, visible light, X-rays |
| Matter wave | Quantum wave associated with a moving material particle | de Broglie wave of an electron |