Final answer:
Waves are repetitive motions of crests and troughs, with wavelength representing the distance between successive crests. Both mechanical waves and electromagnetic waves, including light, can be modeled using mathematical functions. The statement about standing waves is false; they result from the superposition of two waves that are not in the same direction or necessarily in phase.
Step-by-step explanation:
Understanding Waves
Waves are a fundamental phenomenon characterized by repeating patterns of crests and troughs, creating a cyclical motion. The physical distance between two successive crests or troughs is known as the wavelength. This applies to all forms of waves, be they water waves or electromagnetic waves such as light. There is a direct analogy between the waves on an ocean and the concept of wavelength in different wave types. In terms of energy, the potential energy associated with a wave is typically equal to its kinetic energy. Waves can often be represented through mathematical models such as sine or cosine functions that incorporate various factors including wavelength, amplitude, and frequency.
Particularly, light exhibits wave-like characteristics through its fluctuating electric and magnetic fields, analogous to water waves' capacity to transfer energy across a medium. For mechanical waves, simple harmonic motion is often involved, where the medium oscillates vertically while the disturbance travels horizontally.
As for the concept of a standing wave, it is created by the superposition of two waves that are not necessarily in phase or propagating in the same direction, hence the statement about a standing wave being a superposition of two identical, in-phase waves moving in the same direction is false.