Which of the following is a true statement about waves?

Question

A.
All waves require a medium through which they can travel.
B.
Waves can transfer energy when they interact with matter.
C.
All waves travel longitudinally and compressionally at the same time.
D.
Waves are never affected when they interact with matter.

Answer 1

The true statement about waves is:

B. Waves can transfer energy when they interact with matter.

Here's a brief explanation of the other options:

A. All waves require a medium through which they can travel. - This is false because electromagnetic waves (like light) do not require a medium and can travel through a vacuum.

C. All waves travel longitudinally and compressionally at the same time. - This is misleading as waves can be classified as longitudinal (like sound waves) or transverse (like light waves), and they do not travel in both ways simultaneously.

D. Waves are never affected when they interact with matter. - This is also false as waves can be reflected, refracted, absorbed, or transmitted when they interact with matter.