Transverse Wave

Real World Example

Imagine trying to shake crumbs off a picnic blanket by flicking it up and down. This action is similar to how transverse waves move because when you shake the blanket, the crumbs move vertically even though your energy is traveling horizontally across the blanket. In this analogy, your hand's movement represents the energy source, the blanket is the medium, and the crumbs' vertical movement at right angles to the blanket's horizontal motion is akin to the particles of matter in a transverse wave moving perpendicular to the wave's direction of travel.