Final answer:
The statement is true; waves transfer energy instead of causing matter to move from one place to another, exemplified by water waves where particles move up and down but the water itself largely remains in place.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that a wave doesn't cause matter to move from place to place, only energy is true. Waves, such as water waves, are disturbances that transfer energy through space or matter. While this energy travels from one place to another, the particles of the medium (like water) generally move up and down and do not travel with the wave. However, when you're in the ocean and feel the wave's impact, what you're experiencing is the energy being transferred, not the water itself moving en masse. This principle is a part of Big Idea 6 in physics, which teaches us that waves transfer energy and momentum without a permanent transfer of mass and can be used as a mathematical model for various phenomena.