Which statement about energy transfer by waves is true?

Which statement about energy transfer by waves is true?

• A. All waves transfer matter from one place to another.
• B. Waves cannot transfer energy.
• C. Mechanical waves transfer energy only in solids.
• D. Electromagnetic waves transfer energy without requiring a medium.

Answer: (D)

Energy transfer by waves happens when the wave carries energy from one place to another, even if the material the wave moves through doesn’t travel with it. Electromagnetic waves are a perfect example: they transfer energy through changing electric and magnetic fields and can travel through empty space. That’s why sunlight can reach Earth and radio waves can travel from a transmitter to a receiver without any medium at all. The other ideas don’t fit because waves can carry energy without moving matter, and mechanical waves can transfer energy through solids, liquids, or gases—not just in solids.

Energy transfer by waves happens when the wave carries energy from one place to another, even if the material the wave moves through doesn’t travel with it. Electromagnetic waves are a perfect example: they transfer energy through changing electric and magnetic fields and can travel through empty space. That’s why sunlight can reach Earth and radio waves can travel from a transmitter to a receiver without any medium at all.

The other ideas don’t fit because waves can carry energy without moving matter, and mechanical waves can transfer energy through solids, liquids, or gases—not just in solids.