Travelling Wave (Noun)
Meaning
A wave in which the medium moves in the direction of propagation of the wave.
Classification
Nouns denoting natural events.
Examples
- In physics, a light wave is an example of a travelling wave, where the electric field and magnetic field move in the direction of propagation.
- A pressure wave in a gas or liquid can be described as a travelling wave, as the medium itself moves in the direction the wave is propagating.
- The water waves you see crashing on the shore are a form of a traveling wave, with the water molecules moving in the same direction as the wave propagation.
- Energy is transferred through a rope by means of a travelling wave, as the points on the rope move up and down in the direction the wave is propagating.
- In seismology, seismic waves caused by earthquakes are mainly a combination of different types of travelling waves, which move over the surface or through the interior of the Earth.