What type of wave motion involves the movement of the wave in a direction perpendicular to that of the wave's travel?

Transverse waves are characterized by the movement of particles in a direction that is perpendicular to the direction of the wave's travel. This means that as the wave propagates along, the individual particles of the medium move up and down (or side to side) relative to the wave's direction. A common example of transverse waves is light waves or waves on a string, where the displacement of the medium occurs at right angles to the direction the wave is moving.

In contrast, longitudinal waves involve particle motion that is parallel to the direction of wave travel, which is not the case here. Surface waves and standing waves also exhibit different characteristics in terms of their motion and do not fit the description of movement being perpendicular to the direction of travel. Thus, the correct categorization of wave motion in this context is indeed transverse waves.