Which term describes a disturbance that transfers energy from one place to another?

Which term describes a disturbance that transfers energy from one place to another?

• A. Wave
• B. Energy
• C. Medium
• D. Vibration

Answer: (A)

A wave is a disturbance that transfers energy from one place to another. When a wave forms, it sets the medium (or space, for light) into motion, and energy travels with the wave as it propagates. The particles of the medium oscillate around their positions, moving locally, but the energy moves away from the source with the wave. A vibration, in contrast, is just the back-and-forth motion of particles in a local area and doesn’t by itself carry energy long distances. Energy is the ability to do work and can be carried by a wave, but it isn’t the traveling disturbance itself. The medium is the substance the wave travels through, like air or water. So the term that best describes a disturbance that transfers energy from one place to another is the wave.

A wave is a disturbance that transfers energy from one place to another. When a wave forms, it sets the medium (or space, for light) into motion, and energy travels with the wave as it propagates. The particles of the medium oscillate around their positions, moving locally, but the energy moves away from the source with the wave. A vibration, in contrast, is just the back-and-forth motion of particles in a local area and doesn’t by itself carry energy long distances. Energy is the ability to do work and can be carried by a wave, but it isn’t the traveling disturbance itself. The medium is the substance the wave travels through, like air or water. So the term that best describes a disturbance that transfers energy from one place to another is the wave.