Question

Two students were at the beach enjoying the waves. Remembering what they learned in science class, student waves were mechanical waves, but student 2 said they were electromagnetic waves. Who is right and why?

A. Only student 2 is right. In ocean waves the particles move up and down which is a characteristic of an electromagnetic wave.
Ocean waves need a medium. So, they are not a mechanical wave.
B. Both of them are right. Ocean waves go through a medium. So, they are mechanical waves. They are also electromagnetic since
the particles move up and down.
C. Both of them are wrong. Ocean waves do not need a medium. So, they are not mechanical waves. EM waves can also go through
empty space, which ocean waves cannot.
D. Only student 1 is right. Ocean waves can only travel through the medium of the ocean. So, they are mechanical waves. EM waves can travel through a medium, but they can also go through empty space, which ocean waves cannot.

Answer 1

Only student 1 is correct; ocean waves are mechanical waves that require a medium (water) to travel. Electromagnetic waves, in contrast, do not need a medium and can travel through a vacuum.

Step-by-step explanation:

Between the two students discussing the nature of ocean waves, only student 1 is correct regarding the classification of the waves at the beach. Ocean waves are, indeed, mechanical waves because they require a medium, which in this case is water, to travel through. Unlike mechanical waves, electromagnetic waves do not necessitate a medium for propagation; they can move through a vacuum such as outer space. This vital difference illustrates why only student 1's statement aligns with scientific understanding.

It's worth noting that the up and down movement of particles in ocean waves is characteristic of mechanical transverse waves within the medium, not electromagnetic ones. Electromagnetic waves are associated with oscillations of electric and magnetic fields, and their propagation speed is constant in a vacuum, whereas the speed of mechanical waves depends on the medium's properties.

To clarify, student 2's confusion might have arisen from the up and down motion observed in ocean waves, which can be reminiscent of the oscillation in electromagnetic waves. However, that motion is a result of the energy transferring through the water, not evidence of electromagnetic wave behavior.