Waves
an introduction
Waves
an introduction
What are waves?
That is the question we will address in this following section.
Waves are the transition of energy
. While it may look like the wave is causing the object to move towards you it is only the wave that is moving. The energy is the only thing moving. If you placed a buoy on the water and watched it the buoy would not move closer to you. Why? Well it is because the energy is what is traveling towards you, it will make the buoy move up and down but it wont make the buoy get closer to you.
"But then why do you move towards the shore when swimming in the ocean, it's the waves that push you!" True you are moving because the wave itself but not because the wave is moving you, gravity is. As you lift up you begin to fall down the hill the wave formed. You are just falling constantly because the wave is pushing you up as you fall. In the end the only thing the wave itself is transmitting is energy, not matter.
Date last modified: February 7, 2012.
Created with SoftChalk
