A mechanical wave, also called material wave, is a wave that needs a medium to travel. Mechanical waves cause a local oscillation of material. The oscillating material does not move far from its initial equilibrium position. Mechanical waves transport energy only. This energy propagates in the same direction as the wave. Any kind of wave (mechanical or electromagnetic) has a certain energy. No material is transported as a result of mechanical waves.
A mechanical wave requires an initial energy input. Once this initial energy is added, the wave travels through the medium until all its energy is transferred. In contrast, electromagnetic waves require no medium, but can still travel through one.
One important property of mechanical waves is that their amplitudes possess an unusual form, displacement divided by reduced wavelength. When this gets comparable to unity, significant nonlinear effects such as harmonic generation may occur, and, if large enough, may result in chaotic effects. For example, waves on the surface of a body of water break when this dimensionless amplitude exceeds 1, resulting in a foam on the surface and turbulent mixing.
There are three types of mechanical waves: transverse waves, longitudinal waves, and surface waves.
Read more about Mechanical Wave: Examples
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