Naked Science Forum

Non Life Sciences => Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology => Topic started by: paul.fr on 24/12/2007 22:34:29

Title: throwing stones in a pond
Post by: paul.fr on 24/12/2007 22:34:29

if i throw two stones into a pond, they have two separate ripples. What happens to the ripples when they overlap? do the join, cancell eachother out or what?

Title: throwing stones in a pond
Post by: lyner on 25/12/2007 00:12:33

They just ride past each other - as long as they are small. You get what is called interference between the two patterns where waves can add together or cancel to form peaks and troughs but the energy still flows along each wave.
If the two stones are the size, the wavelengths in the ripples are the same so the effect is better - more like in a ripple tank demonstration.
See this:
http://www.falstad.com/mathphysics.html (http://www.falstad.com/mathphysics.html)

Title: throwing stones in a pond
Post by: Karen W. on 26/12/2007 00:17:04

That is a very very very cool link ! Thank you.. I played with the ripple effect for a long time. It was cool when you clicked fast and moved the mouse all over making multiple ripples in the main ripple! Very Cool!