What is the difference between a ray and a wave?

Answer 1

A wave is a a moving oscillation that transfers energy through a medium. A particle is an object.

Answer 2

This is almost a question that should be posted in the English section under the heading of definitions and meanings, but since it's here, an essay is in order. Let's have at it, shall we? The primary difference between a wave and a ray is "directionality" or the "direction" in which the energy (or most of the energy) is going. A wave is just that. It's one of a group of "undulations" or "vibrations" that are moving from a point of origin across or through a medium of transmission. The wave can be a two-dimensional (2D) or three-dimension entity. This will be true in the case of mechanical energy. The waves on a pond radiate (the root word of which is ray) from the point of origin outward in all directions across the surface of the (2D) surface of the pond. In the case of sound, like from, say, a starburst shell in a fireworks display, that mechanical energy travels out in all directions through the (3D) air. The light does, too. But that light is not mechanical energy - it's electromagnetic energy. And we need to consider it separately. Light is, as stated, elelctromagnetic radiation. It is at onece a moving pair of electrostatic and magnetic waves that are polarized at right angles to each other. It moves through air, but it can move through a vacuum, as electromagnetic energy does not require a medium to carry the energy of the wave like mechanical energy does. The energy of the wave is carried in the two fields. And to make matters worse, light can be looked at as a wave or as a particle. (That's a separate question.) Now that we have our waves, what's a ray? The raymore like a "line" or "column" of energy. And mechanical energy doesn't permit us to do a "ray" or "line" of energy because it cannot be confined very well. Does that make sense? We can direct, say, sound energy with a megaphone, but it can still be heard to the sides of the direction in which we point the thing. In the case of a flashlight, the same is true. The beam can be directed, but it still scatters. But the beam of a flashlight that has a nice parabolic reflector mostly goes in one direction. It's a "ray of light" for all practicle purposes. Most of the beam's energy is carried in the one direction. A search light on a helicopter or on a trailer (with a generator) used at a "grand opening" works in a similar manner. And it's the same with x-rays. X-rays, those high energy electromagnetic rays that we use for medical, industrial and analytical purposes, are columnated. Yes, they scatter. But like the light from our flashlight with its parabolic reflector, but most of them come out of the "business end" of the modified Crookes tube and go in the direction in which the head of the machine is pointed. It's a "ray" of high energy electromagnetic radiation (from the root word "ray"). It mostly goes in one direction. Certainly a laser emits a ray of light. It is highly columnated.

Answer 3

wave is the oscillatory movement of water as reflected by the alternate rise and fall of the surface water while current is that part of a fluid (e.g. water or air) that is moving continuously in a definite direction so the main difference is in direction.

Answer 4

Yes, because wind is caused by cold or warm air filling in neutral spaces, and the ocean's currents are caused by the wind, the tides, and things like the earth's rotation.Both follow the coriolis effect.Winds also produce currents called wind currents.I think question should be more eloberate

Answer 5

Ray is drawn by a straight line. But wavefront is to be drawn perpendicular to these rays. Rays are said to be diverging, converging and parallel. Respectively the wavefront will be spherical for the first two and plane for the last one.

As far as the first law of reflection is concerned, the incident ray, reflected ray and normal lie in the same plane

But as we say the same using wavefront, then it will be as follows.

The incident wavefront, reflected wavefront and the reflecting plane all are perpendicular to the same plane.

Answer 6

A ray is a simplified representation of the direction that energy travels in a straight line, while a wave is a more complex representation that shows how energy propagates through a medium in a pattern of oscillations. Waves carry energy and can exhibit characteristics like interference and diffraction, while rays are commonly used to describe the propagation of light in geometric optics.

Answer 7

In a current the water is moving forward. In a wave the water is not moving forward. (NovaNET answer)

Answer 8

A surface current is is horizontal movement of water caused by wind and on the surface. And the Ocean current is a movement of ocean water that follows a regular pattern.