A mechanical wave is a wave that is an oscillation of matter, and therefore transfers energy through a medium.

The types of waves most commonly studied in physics are mechanical and electromagnetic.

Acoustics is the branch of physics that deals with the study of all mechanical waves in gases, liquids, and solids including topics such as vibration, sound, ultrasound and infrasound.

Underwater acoustics is the study of the propagation of sound in water and the interaction of the mechanical waves that constitute sound with the water, its contents and its boundaries.

A mechanical wave is a wave that is an oscillation of matter, and therefore transfers energy through a medium.

A mechanical wave is a wave that is an oscillation of matter, and therefore transfers energy through a medium.

In contrast, electromagnetic waves require no medium, but can still travel through one.

One important property of mechanical waves is that their amplitudes are measured in an unusual way, displacement divided by (reduced) wavelength.

When this gets comparable to unity, significant nonlinear effects such as harmonic generation may occur, and, if large enough, may result in chaotic effects.

When this gets comparable to unity, significant nonlinear effects such as harmonic generation may occur, and, if large enough, may result in chaotic effects.

There are three types of mechanical waves: transverse waves, longitudinal waves, and surface waves.

There are three types of mechanical waves: transverse waves, longitudinal waves, and surface waves.

There are three types of mechanical waves: transverse waves, longitudinal waves, and surface waves.

To see an example, move an end of a Slinky (whose other end is fixed) to the left-and-right of the Slinky, as opposed to to-and-fro.

Light also has properties of a transverse wave, although it is an electromagnetic wave.

Sound is a longitudinal wave.

This type of wave travels along the surface or interface between two media.

There are two types of surface waves, namely Rayleigh waves and Love waves.

There are two types of surface waves, namely Rayleigh waves and Love waves.

Rayleigh waves have energy losses only in two dimensions and are hence more destructive in earthquakes than conventional bulk waves, such as P-waves and S-waves, which lose energy in all three directions.

Rayleigh waves have energy losses only in two dimensions and are hence more destructive in earthquakes than conventional bulk waves, such as P-waves and S-waves, which lose energy in all three directions.

Rayleigh waves have energy losses only in two dimensions and are hence more destructive in earthquakes than conventional bulk waves, such as P-waves and S-waves, which lose energy in all three directions.

Some of the most common examples of mechanical waves are water waves, sound waves, and seismic waves.

The wave equation is an important second-order linear partial differential equation for the description of waves—as they occur in classical physics—such as mechanical waves (e.g. water waves, sound waves and seismic waves) or light waves.