A wave that travels through stretched strings is known as

Step 1: Analyze the question The question asks what type of wave travels through a stretched string (like a guitar string or a rope).

Step 2: Explain the concept Waves are classified by whether they need a material medium:

• Mechanical waves need a material medium (solid, liquid, or gas) to travel. The particles of the medium vibrate to pass on the energy. Examples: sound waves, water waves, waves on strings and ropes.
• Electromagnetic waves do not need a medium and can travel through a vacuum. Examples: light, radio waves, X-rays, microwaves.

Step 3: Apply to each option

• A. Electromagnetic wave: These are oscillating electric and magnetic fields and do not need a string to travel. Not correct.
• B. Microwave: This is a type of electromagnetic wave, so it is also incorrect.
• C. Mechanical wave: When you pluck a stretched string, the string itself vibrates, and the disturbance travels along it. The string is the medium. Correct.
• D. Seismic wave: These travel through the Earth and are themselves a kind of mechanical wave, but the term specifically refers to earthquake waves, so it is not the general name for waves on strings.

Step 4: Answer A wave travelling through a stretched string is a mechanical wave (specifically a transverse wave, since the string moves up and down while the wave moves along its length).

Exam tip: Ask yourself, "Does the wave need something to travel through?" If yes, it is mechanical (strings, sound, water). If it can travel through empty space, it is electromagnetic (light, radio, microwaves, X-rays).