13.1 Types of Waves

• A wave is a disturbance that travels or propagates from the place where it was created
• Waves transfer energy from one place to another, but they do not necessarily transfer any mass
• Sound and water waves are mechanical waves; meaning, they require a medium to travel through.
• The medium may be a solid, a liquid, or a gas, and the speed of the wave depends on the material properties of the medium through which it is traveling
• A pulse wave is a sudden disturbance in which only one wave or a few waves are generated, such as in the example of the pebble.
• Thunder and explosions also create pulse waves.
• A periodic wave repeats the same oscillation for several cycles, such as in the case of the wave pool, and is associated with simple harmonic motion.
• A transverse wave propagates so that the disturbance is perpendicular to the direction of propagation.
• In a longitudinal wave, the disturbance is parallel to the direction of propagation.