Waves transfer energy and information
Waves are described as oscillations or vibrations about a fixed point
Ripples cause particles of water to oscillate up and down
Sound waves cause particles of air to vibrate back and forth
In all cases, waves transfer energy without transferring matter
For water waves, this means it is the wave and not the water itself that travels
For sound waves, this means it is the wave and not the air molecules itself that travels
Objects floating on water provide evidence that waves only transfer energy and not matter
