Waves can transfer energy and travel through different mediums like solids, liquids, and gases. A wave has a wavelength, which is the distance between peaks, a frequency, which is the number of waves in a given period of time, and a speed. There are two categories of waves: transverse waves, where the medium moves perpendicular to the direction of travel, and longitudinal waves, like sound waves, where the medium compresses and expands along the direction of travel. Waves can reflect, refract, and diffract as they interact with objects and change mediums.