Quote:
Originally Posted by The Real BigGuy
Maxim, let me ask 2 questions:
1) when two waves,man made or otherwise, of the same frequency & direction coincide what happens? Isn’t the amplitude of the resulting wave the combination of the 2 waves?
2) Isn’t a man made wave subject to the effects of the wind in the same way as a natural wave if that man made wave is moving in the same direction as the wind?
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Waves are the visual manifestation of the transfer of energy from a boat to the water as it moves through it.
The water itself as a wave is formed does not move. I know counterintuitive as I would have guessed otherwise. The frequency and wavelength would need to be aligned in order for two waves to be combined, which would mean that their amplitude would need to be identical. The amplitude is the visual representation of the wave size from peak to trough. Thus for them to combine does not mean an increase in size. In order to increase in size the amplitude would need to increase and the only way to do that is to inject more energy much in the way an amplifier works. Keep in mind that the amplitude continually dissipates as the wave travels over distance the wave length flattens out.
Wind is a different story as that causes waves due to the friction of the moving air over the surface of the water. So long as the wind blows that energy is transferred to the water surface. The wind speed along with the distance the wave has to travel will ultimately determine the size of a wind driven wave.
I say this based on my elementary understanding of this as the physics of this is a little above my head in some areas.