Final answer:
When waves interact with materials, they can reflect, absorb, or transmit, depending on the properties of both the waves and the material. Reflection causes waves to bounce off the surface, while absorption takes in the wave's energy, and transmission allows waves to pass through a material.
Step-by-step explanation:
When waves interact with materials, they may reflect, absorb, or transmit. Reflection occurs when waves bounce off a material, changing direction but not transitioning through the material. Absorption is when the wave's energy is taken up by the material, often resulting in heating or other forms of energy transfer. Transmission of waves occurs when the material is transparent to the wave's frequency, allowing the wave to pass through without being absorbed or reflected significantly. An example of this is light traveling through glass. Scattering is another phenomenon that can happen where waves are dispersed in many directions after encountering irregularities or particles within the material.