robert@hpfclp.HP.COM (Robert Heckendorn) (11/17/86)
I have been given a couple of possible solutions to this problem but they are all different. Hopefully someone out there can give me a hand. A friend of mine and I were pondering the effects of a rock dropped into a pond. The rock hits the water and circular waves proceed outward from the point of impact. At that point the water is oscilating up and down. What we want to know is: Does the frequency of the oscilation change? If so how? Do the waves get further appart or closer together with time? Here is a simplified rundown of what I have gotten so far. 1. The water at the point of impact is like a bouncing ball. The frequency increases with time and the amplitude decreases with time. 2. The water at the point of impact is like an overextended spring. The frequecy reduces as does the amplitude until you reach a point that the spring is not overextened and then the frequency becomes constant and only the amplitude decreases. 3. The wate is like a perfect bouncing ball and the frequency remains constant while the amplitude decreases. In all cases it was assumed the waves would propogate outward from the point of impact at a constant speed. I apologize for any misrepresentation of people's theories. I hope to find an unfrozen body of water and try dropping a rock in and taking a picture of the waves. -Robert (animal) Heckendorn hplabs!hpfclp!robert