Question

In the video Mrs. Thomason discusses how how particles move perpendicular to the wave in a transverse wave. The diagram represents a transverse wave moving to the right. Point A represents a particle in the path of the wave.



How will particle A move when the wave passes through its position?

a
the partcile will move from left to right
b
the partcile will move from right to left
c
the partcile will move down and up
d
the particle will not move

Answer 1

c — the particle will move up and down.

Reason: in a transverse wave the medium's particles oscillate perpendicular to the wave's direction of travel (the wave is moving right, so the particles move vertically), not carried along with the wave.