Which term describes a repeating disturbance or movement that transfers energy through matter or space?

• A. Medium
• B. Frequency
• C. Crest
• D. Wave

Answer: (D)

A wave is a repeating disturbance that transfers energy through matter or space. This description covers both mechanical waves, like sound traveling through air or water, and electromagnetic waves, like light that can move through empty space. The key idea is the ongoing pattern that carries energy away from the source.

A crest is just a high point on the wave, not the wave itself. Frequency describes how often the pattern repeats per unit time, not the disturbance itself. Medium refers to the substance the wave travels through, not the repeating motion. So the term that best fits the description of the repeating disturbance that moves energy is a wave.