Chronology Current Month Current Thread Current Date
[Year List] [Month List (current year)] [Date Index] [Thread Index] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Date Prev] [Date Next]

Re: Speed of Waves



Speaking only for myself, I use a basketball court and a basketball team. If
the five players each have to handle the ball, it doesn't matter how hard
it's thrown, the medium (the players) are the limiting factor.

This is also useful for absorption of photons through transparent media,
where the number of players is the density of the media. This I stole from
Hewett (I think)

Curtis Meisenheimer
Assist. Professor of Physics Judson College
Instructor of Physics Marion Military Institute
Marion, AL 36756 (334) 683-5206
curtism@future.judson.edu

----- Original Message -----
From: "David Abineri" <dabineri@CHOICE.NET>
To: <PHYS-L@lists.nau.edu>
Sent: Sunday, January 28, 2001 9:32 AM
Subject: Speed of Waves


We are discussing mechanical waves (sound) and some students feel
(understandably at first) that the harder (faster) one 'hits' air
molecules, the faster the disturbance will travel through the air. They
are thinking that the air molecules are particles that simply move
faster when hit harder thus making the disturbance move faster..

What metaphor and explanation might help them to see that the medium
dictates the velocity regardless of the 'hit'.

Thanks for any help on this. Dave Abineri


--
David Abineri dabineri@choice.net