Which statement best describes how the particles of a medium behave when a mechanical wave moves through the medium?

Question

Group of answer choices

Particles stay in one place as the wave travels past them.

Particles travel in the direction that is perpendicular to the motion of the wave.

Particles travel in the direction of the wave, away from the source of the wave.

Particles move as the wave passes them but do not move along with the wave.

Answer 1

The statement that best describes how the particles of a medium behave when a mechanical wave moves through the medium is:

Particles move as the wave passes them but do not move along with the wave.

In a mechanical wave, such as a sound wave or a wave in a string, the particles of the medium oscillate around their equilibrium positions as the wave energy travels through them, but they do not travel with the wave itself.