Question

a mechanical wave is a disturbance that

multiple choice

always has a mound and depression, such as a water wave.

moves matter as well as energy.

moves through a medium such as a solid or the air.

carries energy through matter or a vacuum.

Explanation:

A mechanical wave is a wave that requires a medium to travel through. Solids, liquids, and gases (like air) are all examples of media. Mechanical waves do not carry matter (particles of the medium just oscillate around their mean positions), so the option “moves matter as well as energy” is wrong. They can't travel through a vacuum (that's for electromagnetic waves), so “carries energy through matter or a vacuum” is wrong. Also, not all mechanical waves have “mound and depression” (e.g., longitudinal waves like sound in air have compressions and rarefactions).

Answer:

moves through a medium such as a solid or the air.