In physics, a wave is a moving disturbance of energy that propagates a dynamic disturbance of one or more quantities. Waves can be described by their crest, trough, period, wavelength, and amplitude.  Waves have several properties, including: Amplitude: Describes how far the medium in a wave moves Wavelength: Describes a wave's length Frequency: Describes how often it occurs Speed: Describes how quickly a wave moves  Waves can be classified into three types: Mechanical waves: Divided into transverse and longitudinal waves Electromagnetic waves: Include UV rays and radio... Show more

In physics, a wave is a moving disturbance of energy that propagates a dynamic disturbance of one or more quantities. Waves can be described by their crest, trough, period, wavelength, and amplitude. 

Waves have several properties, including:
Amplitude: Describes how far the medium in a wave moves
Wavelength: Describes a wave's length
Frequency: Describes how often it occurs
Speed: Describes how quickly a wave moves 

Waves can be classified into three types:
Mechanical waves: Divided into transverse and longitudinal waves
Electromagnetic waves: Include UV rays and radio waves
**Matter waves 

Some examples of waves include: seismic waves, light waves, radio waves, sound waves, and microwaves. 
Waves can also exhibit interference, which is the result of two or more waves superimposing at a particular point in space. A standing wave pattern is not actually a wave, but rather the pattern resulting from the presence of two waves of the same frequency with different directions of travel within the same medium. 
Refraction is another property of waves. A wave can have different velocities for different mediums. The change of velocity at a boundary of a medium causes a wave to refract. 

Show less