Mechanical waves carry energy through a medium from one place (source) to another. But depending on the medium, the energy interacts with the particles in different ways.

Waves that move the medium up and down are called transverse waves. And waves that move the medium back and forth are called longitudinal waves.

Each of these waves has characteristics that can be measured to determine the distance between waves (wavelength), how fast the medium vibrates (frequency), and how intense (amplitude) the energy is. 

First you have the wavelength, which is a measurement of the distance between one peak -- or one compression -- to another.

Then there is frequency, which is a measurement of how many waves go by in a period of time.

And the amplitude measures how intense the wave is -- how far each particle is getting pushed from its original resting place.The higher the amplitude, the more energy the waves are carrying.

So whether it’s a loud noise vs. a small or a big ripple vs. a little one, these waves all share certain measurable characteristics.