Talk:Wave

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Wave is included in the 2007 Wikipedia for Schools, or is a candidate for inclusion in future versions. Please maintain high quality standards, and make an extra effort to include free images, because non-free images cannot be used on the CDs.
To-do list for Wave: edit · history · watch · refresh
  • need some information about resonance
  • a breakdown of topics, from first conception to quantum mechanics
  • clearer formatting


Contents

[edit] Wavelength

I think λ should be explained with a link to wavelength. Also I is not explained. The article should start with a definition, not with period and frequency.

The angular frequency formula is correct. --AxelBoldt

--- Reorganized concentrating on simpler topics first. Come on... don't formula look better in another font:

 like this?

--sodium

Hmm. Sorry, didn't check this page before, I just changed it back. With my browser/settings, formulae look much better like this:

v = ω / k = λf ,

than like this:

  v = ω / k = λf .

But that's just for me. Feel free to change it back. -- DrBob

Examples of waves Sea-waves, which are perturbations that propagate through water (see also surfing and tsunami). Sound - a mechanical wave that propagates through air, liquid or solids, and is of a frequency detected by the auditory system. Similar are seismic waves in earthquakes, of which there are the S, P and L kinds. Light, radio waves, x-rays, etc. make up electromagnetic radiation. Propagating here is


'a disturbance of the electromagnetic field. '


does it want to mean that before "pass a light wave" there is a quiet magnetic field?

I agree that is was oddly formulated. I changed it. - Patrick 15:23 Feb 18, 2003 (UTC)

Perfect, but now i think there is another little incongruence. The first paragraph say about waves: "Waves have a medium through which they travel and can transfer energy from one place to another without any of the particles of the medium being displaced permanently". Is not correct to say that for all the kind of waves and to say a few lines later that electromanetic waves don't need a medium...


PS: I would correct it myself but my englis is very bad. (Sorry by the lot of mistakes that is sure I have wroten in this short comment).

I was not quite happy with this incongruence either; I have put the exception higher up. May be you can improve it further. Do not worry too much about the English, that can be corrected. - Patrick 22:54 Feb 18, 2003 (UTC)


It's confusing that "x" is used in the picture to refer to the amplitude. There is an equation down below where "y" is used. --dave

I've changed the image. If it is generally agreed that this new one is better, someone should go to the image discription page and delete the old one. Theresa knott 23:32 Apr 6, 2003 (UTC)

I am not happy with the sentence from the introduction where it says that particles oscilate around a fixed point. This is only true under "stationary" conditions, as every surfer knows. Which terminology can be used to describe phenomena like surf?

i am not happy with this recent addition, waves in ponds are circular: Waveguy 03:27, 28 Oct 2003 (UTC)

Ripples on the surface of a pond are actually a combination of transverse and longitudinal waves; therefore, the points on the surface follow elliptical paths.

I'm sorry. But I think that it is the 'wavefront' of the 'pond waves' (in case the initial disturbance is localized e.g. by throwing a stone in the pond)that is circular and not the nature of 'wave'. Any suggestions?Rahuljp

Your right Rahuljp. The ripple spread out in a circular pattern, but a point on the suface does not necessarily follow a sinusiodial path. Perhaps a diagram would make the matter clearer? (I'll get to work on one right away)Theresa knott 16:54, 6 Nov 2003 (UTC)

Thank you Theresa knott. But this does suggest that I did not use the correct language. Can you do it? Rahuljp

Personally I don't think I can do any better than you. IMO it's practically impossible to convey abstract scientific ideas with words. Pictures are much better. Theresa knott 17:13, 6 Nov 2003 (UTC)
Good job, Theresa. Rahuljp Thanks.I'm glad you liked it theresa knott 11:40, 14 Nov 2003 (UTC)

I'm confused about ripples. Is it possible to provide an explanation of how a wave front moves? That is, consider the first wave front moving across a pond. At some moment a particle on the surface of the pond will be higher than it was previously. On the face of it, that is paradoxical. It is especially confusing since the water itself does not move with the wavefront--it's not like snow being pushed along by a snowplow. What is the explanation for how a bulge shape can move along the surface of the water? -- RussAbbott

Requestion peer review at wave vector. I just sort of made up this definition basd on what I've seen in papers and on some math website. I think it's okay, but see what you think. --Chinasaur 02:07, May 29, 2004 (UTC)

[edit] Cleanup

Several sections of this article need cleanup. The section Media is misleading (a general medium may by any combination or none of the classifications given). The secion on The wave equation also needs some rewriting, particuarly to avoid repeated use of "In the most general" and to explain the meaning of the various symbols used (x, y, z, and t)

done Ancheta Wis 08:36, 4 May 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Merger

This seems like a pretty obvious merger to me. Dan Granahan 00:58, 25 July 2005 (UTC)

Merged articles Babbler 07:39, 5 August 2005 (UTC)

[edit] vandalism

I am not sure if this is vandalism, but I removed:

"If you are in Merina Foster's Physics class this website will be no help whatsoever."

it was made by an IP adress, then changed by the same one Factoid 22:38, 4 January 2006 (UTC)

It might not be considered vandalism, but that sounds like a personal attack and should be deleted. --Austinsimcox 15:23, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Standing Wave Math Expression

It seems being a paradox. For

\mathcal {\mid}\Psi(x,t){\mid}^2=A^2sin^{2}(kx)*cos^{2}({\omega}t)=0 {\neq}1

which means that it does not equal to 1. Thus caused not coresponse Normalization. Known a standing wave is expressed as

\mathcal, \Psi(x,t)=Asin(kx)*cos({\omega}t), .

Can anyone talk about your thoughts? Thanks.

By their math expression we can clearly find angular frequency of \mathcal V_p , \mathcal \omega which keeps constant when a wave vibrates up and down localized. That may because of energy transports into a wave is conservative,just like a particel moves up and down in a Y axis,localizedly(which keeps energy conservative).
But for another one,it travels in an X axis,that hints its phase-angular is the function of time. By time changes,then \mathcal \omega naturely changes either.

I'm a little not sure above. Could anyone discuss with me? --HydrogenSu 18:50, 30 January 2006 (UTC)

[edit] nanometres

Regarding "For electromagnetic radiation, it is usually measured in nanometres." but what about e.g., 2-meter amateur radio etc.?!


[edit] Ripple diagram

I do not like the "elliptical trajectory" diagram. Trajectories are never elongated in the vertical, as drawn, but always in the horizontal, and only when the water is shallow. Also, the dashed red trajectory should not extend higher than the tops of the crests. This same diagram is part of the Ocean Surface Wave article, and I think it should also be changed there.Rracecarr 23:46, 10 May 2006 (UTC)

[edit] dreadfully deficient

For such a general article this seems to have neglected lots of things. For example I wanted to explore the general scope of resonance in waves in this article, but found nothing. John Riemann Soong 00:56, 28 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Split

No, wave is a basic concept common in most of its meaning to advanced physics and everyday language, possibly unique in that regard. There may be special meanings that should be listed, but most uses of the word refer to the same concept and should lead to the same page, explaining that concept. David R. Ingham 07:05, 27 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Vote yes for disambiguation

Physics is not the only field with waves. For example, there is a wave theory in historical linguistics. And, there are waves in the invasion of a beachhead. Physical waves are not general enough to cover the social senses, so someone will have to take on more abstract definitions. There is also a quasi-physical sense, such as a wave of fire. And there are waves of feeling: dizziness, nausea, disappointment, hysteria, etc. Not to mention cultural waves. If we don't make the distinction today we'll be making it later on.Dave 03:29, 2 November 2006 (UTC)

Disagree. In my opinion, this is already a disambig page for the common wave concept used in the sciences. For example, it can be used for electromagnetic waves, seismic waves, etc. Besides, at the top, I see Wave (disambiguation) (immediately below the tag you inserted) for other uses of wave that doesn't involve the common terminology of reflection, wavelength, etc. +mwtoews 05:36, 2 November 2006 (UTC)
Right. I think the general wave concept is well explained here. I agree with Mwtoews. Lixy 16:33, 17 January 2007 (UTC)
Disagree I can see your point but I feel in almost all cases when somebody looks at the this page the information they are seeking is under the topics covered. I see a "wave of feeling" as an analogy of real waves. In other words, if you understand "wave" and "feeling" you'll understand "wave of feeling". There is a stronger case for attack waves in the military sense, but if such an entry is encyclopaedic it would seem to belong as a paragraph within an article on military tactics, not within "wave".
"Disagree" But any of those other waves are only called waves because they can be described rughly using the mathematical description of waves. That social descriptions use the concept of waves does not change the concept.

[edit] Move to B-class

I have moved the article to B-class because I think that it contains much of the content necessary to get to this grade —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Earth Network Editor (talk • contribs) 16:08, 13 February 2007 (UTC).

[edit] please help me please

does anyone know where can i type a question out then the webside will answer my questions

—The preceding unsigned comment was added by 203.87.124.245 (talk) 14:40, 4 March 2007 (UTC).

Well, there isn't any magic "all questions answered here" portal, but you might have some luck at the Wikipedia Reference desk. -- MarcoTolo 22:42, 4 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Billow?

I was looking for an article on Billows, you know, the things you push together to get a puff of air (often used to provide air to fires), but I got redirected here. I'm not really sure why. I'm also not sure why. I'm also not quite sure if that's the name of what I'm thinking of. Kevin 04:38, 23 July 2007 (UTC)

Try Bellows. -- MarcoTolo 04:59, 23 July 2007 (UTC)
FWIW, a billow can be "a large sea wave" according to this source. -- MarcoTolo 05:02, 23 July 2007 (UTC)
Ah. Kevin 04:13, 24 July 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Traveling wave

A travelling wave is not simple if the amplitude A is a function of z and t.Jalexbnbl 19:34, 11 September 2007 (UTC)

==

[edit] More about wave

==

This article does not interpret different waves, i.e. , plane wave, spherical wave, parapoloidal wave; in the article wave equation is concerning just the plane waves, not the other kinds, so it needs more revision.


A problem with the dipiction of the standing wave?

Please compare the standing wave on this article to a real standing wave at www.youtube.com/watch?v=g49mahYeNgc.

There's an "illogicalness" to that standing wave. It gets longer when it's bended than when it's a straight line. A standing wave can not get longer as the wave propogates, it remains at a constant length -- doesn't it?

If I'm wrong about it please explain, but if I'm right please change that image immediately. --MrZhuKeeper (talk) 07:09, 13 December 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Spelling/grammar stuffs

I'm not sure what's trying to be said here, but it doesn't sound correct to me. Would somebody please change it?

From mathematical point of view most primitive (or fundamental) wave is harmonic (sinusoidal) wave which is described by the equation f(x,t) = Asin(ωt − kx)),


Is it "most waves are harmonic waves which are described"?

Also,

The two opposed waves each cancel the wave propagation of the other. This effect is known as waves.

Please effect changes with the effect of that making sense.

This comment left by thezeus18, who is too lazy to log on.

[edit] Coil

Unlike popular perception, any electromagnetic wave does not jump up and down. That is a portrait illusion. In reality, a wave looks like a coil and moves along a invisible tunnel-like path. When we say wavelength, we are really talking about the length of this coil.Anwar (talk) 19:05, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

May be so for some special cases, but this is a general article about wave phenomena in physics. So also sound waves, water waves, seismic waves, etc. Furthermore, electromagnetic waves are most often not generated by coils, e.g. in stars. So I reverted your edit. Perhaps you can also reconsider your addition of "coil" to other articles. Crowsnest (talk) 21:43, 12 May 2008 (UTC)