What are mechanical waves and how do they travel?

[akash]

Can someone explain what mechanical waves are and give examples? I’d like to understand how they move through different mediums.

 

[niyati]

Mechanical waves are the disturbances in a medium (solid, liquid or gas) by which energy is passed on but no matter. They need a medium through which to multiply. The waves propagate through the vibration of the particles of the medium about their rest positions, the energy passing on one particle to the next, either parallel (longitudinal) or perpendicular (transverse) to the wave direction.

Examples Sound waves (longitudinal), water waves (transverse).

 

[isabel]

Mechanical waves refer to vibrations which move in a substance such as air, water or solids. They travel by passing the energy of one particle to another- as sound-waves in air or water-waves in the sea.