Question

A continuous disturbance is created on the surface of water in a ripple tank with a small piece of cork floating on it. Describe the motion of the cork. What does the motion of the cork tell about the disturbance?

Answer 1

Cork will move up and down about the mean position at the same position along horizontal.
It tells as that only the disturbance/energy is transferred from one particle to the other but particles of the medium do not move from one position to the other.