The movement of energy through a body of water usually formed when winds blow across the surface transferring energy is called what?

• A. Wave
• B. Current
• C. Tide
• D. Gust

Answer: (A)

Energy moving through water most often happens as waves. When wind blows across the surface, friction transfers some of that energy into the water, creating a disturbance that travels outward as a wave. The energy moves through the water, but the water itself mainly moves in small circular orbits as the wave passes, so the overall water mass doesn’t ride along with the wave. This distinguishes waves from other water movements: a current is a steady flow of water in a direction, a tide is a regular rise and fall in sea level driven by the Moon and Sun’s gravity, and a gust is a brief, strong wind. So the term that best fits is wave.