A continuous disturbance is created on the surfacd of water in a ripple tank with a small piece of cork floating on it. Describe the motion of cork. What does it tell about the disturbance?

[prasanna]

The cork will move up and down at the same place while the waves will travel outwards from
the point of disturbance. Thus, the cork is not carried away by the waves. The motion of the cork tells us that particles of medium are vibrating at right angles to the direction of wave propagation. It also tells us that in a wave there is a propagation of energy and not matter.