Mechanical Waves are waves which propagate through a material medium (solid, liquid, or gas) at a wave speed which depends on the elastic and inertial properties of that medium. There are two basic types of wave motion for mechanical waves: longitudinal waves and transverse waves. The animations below demonstrate both types of wave and illustrate the difference between the motion of the wave and the motion of the particles in the medium through which the wave is travelling.
If the temperature of the air is said to be at absolute zero, one might conclude that a. the molecules contain a minimum amount of energy. b. the motion of the molecules is at a maximum. c. the molecules are occupying a large volume. the molecules contain a minimum amount of energy.
The temperature at which air becomes saturated with water is called the air's dew point. This term makes sense, because water will condense from the air as dew, if the air cools down overnight and reaches 100% humidity. Figure 16.1: This diagram shows the amount of water air can hold at different temperatures.