Wave behavior refers to how waves travel and interact with their environment. Waves can be classified into two main types: mechanical waves, which require a medium like air or water to propagate, and electromagnetic waves, which can travel through a vacuum. Common behaviors of waves include reflection, refraction, and diffraction, which describe how waves bounce off surfaces, change direction when entering a new medium, and spread out after passing through an opening, respectively.
The speed of a wave is determined by the medium it travels through and its frequency. Wavelength is the distance between successive wave peaks, while frequency refers to how many wave peaks pass a point in one second. Understanding wave behavior is essential in various fields, including physics, engineering, and music, as it helps explain phenomena like sound, light, and ocean waves.