What are examples of electromagnetic waves?

• A. Ocean waves
• B. Radio waves
• C. Light waves
• D. Sound waves

Answer: (C)

Electromagnetic waves are disturbances that carry energy through changing electric and magnetic fields and can travel through empty space. They include radio waves, visible light, microwaves, X-rays, and more. Ocean waves and sound waves, by contrast, are mechanical waves—they require a material medium to propagate.

Light waves are a classic, easy-to-visualize example of electromagnetic waves because we can see them and know they travel through air or vacuum as part of the visible spectrum. Radio waves are also electromagnetic, but the option that most clearly illustrates the category for everyday understanding is light waves, since they’re familiar and directly observable. The key idea is that EM waves don’t need a medium to move, unlike the non-electromagnetic options listed.