How do waves transmit energy through a medium?

Waves transmit energy through a medium primarily by vibrating particles in that medium. In a wave, the energy is carried by the oscillation of particles, which move back and forth around their equilibrium positions without transferring themselves from one location to another. For example, in a sound wave, air particles vibrate and pass the energy along to neighboring particles, creating a wave that travels through the air.

This transmission model illustrates that while the particles in the medium may move slightly as they vibrate, the overall effect is a transfer of energy rather than a transfer of matter. The energy propagates through the medium as the local disturbances created by each particle's motion influence adjacent particles, leading to the propagation of the wave. Hence, the key mechanism behind wave energy transmission is the vibration of particles rather than any change in pressure or heat emission.