transverse wave, motion in which all points on a wave oscillate along paths at right angles to the direction of the wave’s advance. Surface ripples on water, seismic S (secondary) waves, and electromagnetic (e.g., radio and light) waves are examples of transverse waves.
A simple transverse wave can be represented by a sine or cosine curve, so called because the amplitude of any point on the curve—i.e., its distance from the axis—is proportional to the sine (or cosine) of an angle. In the , sine curves of various amplitudes are shown. These curves represent how a standing transverse wave might look at consecutive (1, 2, 3, 4, and 5) intervals of time. The time required for a point on the wave to make a complete oscillation through the axis is called the period of the wave motion, and the number of oscillations executed per second is called the frequency. Wavelength is considered to be the distance between corresponding points on the wave—i.e., the distance between two adjacent peaks or troughs of the wave. Transverse waves may also be complex, in which the curves representing them are composed of two or more sine or cosine curves.