2007-01-16 08:20:35 · 2 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
http://www.tiscali.co.uk/reference/encyclopaedia/hutchinson/m0006049.html
In physics, oscillation that is propagated from a source. Mechanical waves require a medium through which to travel. Electromagnetic waves do not; they can travel through a vacuum. Waves carry energy but they do not transfer matter. The medium (for example the Earth, for seismic waves) is not permanently displaced by the passage of a wave. The model of waves as a pattern is used to help understand the properties of light and sound. Experiments conducted in a ripple tank with water waves can explain how waves slow down as water becomes shallower, how waves change direction when travelling through another medium, and how waves are reflected from different surfaces.
2007-01-16 08:31:18 · answer #1 · answered by Antonio R 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
wow...way too much to go into here...i suggest a sit down with wikipedia...link is below
2007-01-16 08:32:00 · answer #2 · answered by Beach_Bum 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋