Re: speed of waves in water

[Brian Whatcott <betwys1@SBCGLOBAL.NET>]

At 06:12 PM 12/3/2003, Larry Smith, you wrote:
> From a student: "How come sound waves travel so fast in water but water
> waves (the visual kind) move so slow?"


If you pick up a meter rule, you can force it into transverse oscillation
by gently waving it at the wrist.
Or you can force it into longitudinal oscillations by dropping it onto a
hard surface,  end first.

The latter oscillation is traveling at the local speed of sound, the former
oscillation is  determined by the mass and the stiffness of the stick.

When it comes to surface waves, notwithstanding the recent thread
touching on water wave velocity:    there is one that dominates the thoughts
of the boater and boat designer. It is a wave whose length is proportional
to root (speed) - and it determines the ultimate speed of displacement
(non-planing) hulls. Or to put it another way, the longer a boat hull, the
 faster it can go before hitting a 'wall ' of increasing power requirement.

Brian Whatcott    Altus OK    Eureka!