Question

What is transferred in a wave?

Answer 1

In waves, energy transfer through oscillations of magnetic fields and electric fields. In sound waves, energy transfers through the fluctuations of air particles or solid particles through which the sound travels. In water waves, energy transfers through the water particle's vibrations. Energy in waves travels away from the source that puts the energy in the wave.

Complete step by step answer:
Wave is a disorder that moves through a medium. The medium in which the wave travels experiences vibrations when the wave passes, but the medium's particles do not proceed with the wave. In wave motion, only energy is transferred. However, particles of the medium do not proceed.
For example, we fall a portion of stone in the pond's quiet water; we hear a rock's sound hitting the water surface. A disturbance is generated in water at the spot where the stone strikes at this disorder. Its direction is radially outward in the form of the circular base on the water's surface; if we put a piece of cork on the water surface at some distance apart from the point where the stone strikes, we will see it still doesn't move forward. Still, it oscillates up and down while the wave moves ahead because water particles start fluctuating up and down. The location where the stone hits these particles is then transferred to their energy to the nearby particles. They came back to their mean position then only energy was transferred. Still, the medium particles do not move.

Additional Information: The direction of energy depends on the kind of wave. A wave in which the particles in the medium move parallel to the wave propagation direction is called a longitudinal wave. A wave in which the particles in the medium move in the direction perpendicular to the wave propagation direction is called transverse waves. A wave in which the particle movement direction is in a circular motion is called a surface wave.

Note: The direction of transfer of energy is the direction of propagation, not to be confused with the polarization of the wave, which is when the disturbance to balance oscillates. In standing waves, there is a direction with no energy transfer. Some examples of sources of waves are: A man shouting, An antenna, an Earthquake centre, A rock in a pond.