Ripples

Ripples refer to the secondary waves that spread outward across a surface or through a medium when the initial source moves or causes disturbance. In water, for example, when you toss a stone, it creates a ripple effect—the concentric circles that travel outward. These ripples transfer energy from the point of disturbance through the surrounding medium but do not move the medium itself permanently. They are a common phenomenon in physics, illustrating how energy disperses through waves, whether in water, air, or even fields like finance, where ripple effects describe how a change in one area influences others nearby.