Question

If I drop a rock into a pond, a wave will propagate through the water from the location where the rock made contact. The wave will travel at a speed dependent on the density of the medium. As far as I understand, the crest and trough of the wave are caused because the still water in the path of the wave has inertia which in turn causes the water to "buckle" as the energy of the wave pushes against it before it moves. This is also the reason why the speed of the wave is dependent on the medium.

So, when light travels through a vacuum at top speed and in some way acts as a wave with a crest and trough, is it because the medium through which it travels is "buckling" in the same way?

Answer 1

Light waves do not require a medium to propagate and do not behave like water waves with crest and trough. They have peaks and valleys in their intensity, representing different strengths of the electric and magnetic fields of the wave.

Step-by-step explanation:

When light travels through a vacuum, it does not require a medium to propagate like mechanical waves such as water waves.

Light is an electromagnetic wave, and it can travel through empty space without the need for a medium.

Instead of crest and trough like water waves, light waves have peaks and valleys in their intensity.

These peaks and valleys represent the different strengths of the electric and magnetic fields of the wave.