Here's a breakdown:
* Transverse wave: The particles of the medium move up and down (or side to side) while the wave itself travels horizontally.
* Medium: The substance through which the wave travels.
* Motion of the wave: The direction the wave energy travels.
Examples of transverse waves:
* Light waves: Electromagnetic waves that travel through the vacuum of space.
* Waves on a string: When you shake a rope up and down, the wave travels along the rope, but the rope itself moves perpendicular to the direction of the wave.
* Water waves: While water waves appear to be transverse, they actually have a combination of transverse and longitudinal motion (discussed below).
Contrast with longitudinal waves:
In a longitudinal wave, the particles of the medium vibrate parallel to the direction of the wave's motion. Think of a spring: when you compress it, the compression travels down the spring, with the individual coils moving back and forth in the same direction as the wave. Sound waves are an example of longitudinal waves.
