Final answer:
Waves are disturbances that travel through a medium, such as air, water, or solids. Mechanical waves require a medium to propagate, while electromagnetic waves do not. The medium's nature and the boundary it encounters affect how waves will be transmitted, reflected, or interact with other waves.
Step-by-step explanation:
Waves can be categorized into two primary types: mechanical waves and electromagnetic waves. Mechanical waves, such as sound and water waves, require a medium to travel through, while electromagnetic waves, like light, do not require a medium and can travel through a vacuum. When discussing waves transmitted through a ball, if the waves are mechanical, such as sound waves emitted from inside the ball, they would travel through the solid or air inside the ball as their medium. The medium is what allows the wave to propagate and is responsible for restoring the structure after it has been disturbed.
When a wave encounters the boundary of its medium, it may be reflected or transmitted. A wave that meets a fixed boundary will reflect differently than one that meets a free boundary. If the boundary is fixed, it cannot move and the wave reflects with a phase change, whereas a free boundary allows for a wave to be reflected without a phase change.
Ultimately, the nature of the medium and the boundary conditions at the interface are what determine the behavior of waves as they propagate, reflect, and transmit through different materials.