Ghostly Motion: Wave Energy Transfer

If a wave is a disturbance that carries a force across a distance, then energy is being moved. If the water molecules stay in the same general area, then it is the energy, not the matter, that is traveling.

If waves transferred matter permanently, then the ocean would empty out onto the beach. If the water stays in the ocean and only the "bump" moves, then wave energy transfer does not permanently move matter.

If you watch a single drop of water as a wave passes, then you see it move up, forward, down, and back to its start. If it returns to the start, then it is moving in a circular pattern.

If a fan stands up and sits down without leaving their seat, then they are like water molecules. If the "wave" travels through the crowd while everyone stays put, then it is a perfect example of wave energy transfer.

If a medium carries a wave, then the particles of that medium return to their rest position. Surfers move with the wave and energy travels forward, so they do not stay put.

If wave energy transfer requires a material to vibrate or move to pass the force along, then that material is the medium.

If a wave moves through a medium, it lifts the medium and then drops it back down. If the raft is on the water, then it will follow the water's circular path and end up back where it started.

If energy needs to move from one particle to the next, then the first particle must push its neighbor. If this push is a small back-and-forth movement, then the particle is vibrating temporarily.

If wave energy transfer happens through particles bumping into each other, then some energy is lost as heat. If heat is generated by rubbing, then friction is what causes the wave to lose power.

If a baseball is an object that moves from one spot to another, it is not a wave. If the other examples involve a medium (or space) vibrating to pass energy, then they are examples of wave energy transfer.

If energy hits a barrier, then it must go somewhere because it cannot be destroyed. If it bounces back, stays in the wall, or passes through, then it has been reflected, absorbed, or transmitted.

If the sound moves from the bell to your ear, then energy is traveling. If the wind isn't blowing the air into your ear, then the process is simply a transfer of energy through the air.

If particles in a spring push forward and pull back in a line, and the energy moves along that same line, then the wave is longitudinal.

If a wave "propagates" from a source, then it is traveling outward. If we are talking about the movement of energy through a substance, then propagation describes that spreading.

If the first domino is pushed, it provides the force for all the others. If that force is what powers the movement, then the first push is the source.

If a wave is taller or happens more often, then it carries more energy. If the medium is thicker (denser), it can affect how the energy passes; however, color and names do not change energy levels.

If an object is made of a specific set of matter that moves together, then a ball is an object. If a wave is just a pattern of energy moving through different pieces of matter, then it is a phenomenon, not an object.

If the water molecules are only moving in small circles, they cannot be traveling at 50 mph. If the "shape" of the wave is moving across the surface, then the energy disturbance is the thing with that speed.

If the ground shakes and moves energy for miles but the dirt stays in your yard, then it is a wave. If that wave comes from the Earth's crust, then it is a seismic wave.

If the particles of a medium only vibrate and return to their original spot, then they are a carrier for the energy. If they are just a carrier, then the energy moves along the path they provide while they stay put.