Ace A Level Physics 2025 – Power Up Your Physics Prowess!

A progressive wave is characterized by its ability to move through a medium while transferring energy from one point to another. This motion distinguishes progressive waves from other types of waves, such as stationary waves, which do not propagate and instead remain fixed in certain positions.

In a progressive wave, the particles of the medium oscillate around their equilibrium positions as the wave passes through, allowing energy to be transmitted without the bulk movement of matter. This is essential in understanding how waves like sound or electromagnetic waves behave in various environments, as they continuously propagate outward from their source.

Other options reflect different characteristics of waves that do not accurately describe the nature of a progressive wave. For instance, stationary waves, which result from the interference of two waves moving in opposite directions, remain in fixed positions and don't have a net movement across the medium. Moreover, while waves can change mediums, a progressive wave is not defined by changing its medium but rather by its ability to propagate through a medium. Lastly, having fixed endpoints relates more to the behavior of standing waves than to the propagation of a wave. Thus, the correct characterization of a progressive wave is its movement through a medium.