Physical waves that do not have a distinct form or shape but can still carry energy include:
Electromagnetic Waves: Electromagnetic waves, such as light, radio waves, and microwaves, do not have a fixed shape or form. They consist of oscillating electric and magnetic fields that propagate through space. Despite their lack of a tangible form, they carry energy and can transmit it over long distances.
Quantum Waves: In quantum mechanics, particles can exhibit wave-like behavior, described by wave functions. These wave functions do not have a definite shape or form in physical space but are probabilistic distributions that represent the likelihood of finding a particle in different locations. Quantum waves carry energy and are fundamental to understanding the behavior of subatomic particles.
Sound Waves: Sound waves are mechanical waves that propagate through a medium, such as air, water, or solids. While sound waves can be visualized as compression and rarefaction patterns, individual sound waves do not possess a discernible shape. They carry energy through the vibration of particles in the medium.
Gravitational Waves: Gravitational waves are ripples in the fabric of spacetime caused by the acceleration of massive objects, such as colliding black holes or neutron stars. They do not have a direct physical shape or form that can be easily visualized. However, they carry energy and propagate through the universe, as confirmed by recent gravitational wave detections.
These examples illustrate that waves can carry energy even without having a tangible form or shape in the conventional sense. Their energy is transmitted through oscillations or disturbances in the underlying medium or fields.