Here's a breakdown of the key features:

* Requires a medium: Unlike electromagnetic waves, which can travel through a vacuum, mechanical waves need a material substance (solid, liquid, or gas) to propagate. This medium is the material that carries the energy.

* Energy transfer: The wave itself does not move the medium along with it; it transfers energy through the medium by causing particles to oscillate or vibrate around their equilibrium position.

* No matter transfer: The particles of the medium don't travel with the wave. They simply move back and forth, creating the wave pattern. Think of a wave in a rope - the rope itself doesn't travel down the line, but the energy of the wave does.

* Types: There are two main types of mechanical waves:

* Transverse waves: The particles oscillate perpendicular to the direction of the wave's travel. Examples include light waves and waves on a string.

* Longitudinal waves: The particles oscillate parallel to the direction of the wave's travel. Examples include sound waves.

In essence: Mechanical waves are like a chain reaction of particles, each one passing energy along to the next, resulting in a disturbance that travels through the medium.