is there a relation between the depth of the water and the speed of the wave?

Question

like the question say i want to know if there is any relation between the depth of the water and the speed of the wave? if there is what is it and how can you prove it?

Answer 1

No, however... one must answer this question carefully.
First of all the speed an acoustic wave propagation depends on density of the medium trough which it propagates. The denser the medium the faster it will move.
Since water is uncompressible the height of water should not have any affect on propagation.

If you are referring to surface wave it is a different story. The energy of the wave must be preserved. An example is a tsunami wave. When it travels across the ocean it travels very fast but as it comes closer to the shore it rises increasing its potential energy and decreasing its kinetic energy. With decrease of kinetic energy its speed falls dramatically.

Answer 2

Although water is typically considered incompressable, it is not. It's just hard to compress. But down in the Mariana Trench, miles below the surface where it's very cold, that water is denser than the water on the surface above. Check this out:

"The density of ocean water at the sea surface is about 1027 kg/m3. The two main factors that affect density of ocean water are the temperature of the water and the salinity of the water. The density of ocean water continuously increases with decreasing temperature until the water freezes. Ocean water, with an average salinity of 35 psu, freezes at 28.5oF (-1.94oC). Increasing salinity also increases the density of sea water. " [See source.]

Your question is unclear: are you talking about the transverse waves, which are solely on the surface, or the sound waves, which are compression waves, not transverse?

If you're talking about the surface, transverse waves, then, yes there is a relationship. The reason waves break as they come onto a beach, for example, is because the bottoms of the waves are acted on by the friction of the shallowing ocean bottom and slowed down relative to the tops of the waves. Thus, the faster tops break and tumble over, which is what the surfer dudes ride on. The proof in this case is in the surfing.

If you're talking about the subsurface, compression sound waves, then again, yes, there is a relationship. As one answerer said, sound travels faster in higher densities than in lower densities. And, as you see from the cite, it is denser on average at deeper depths in the water.

The proof in this case is in SONAR, which takes the speed gradients with depth into consideration when navigating around underwater obstacles or searching for submarines for example. The velocity differentials can be so severe that a SONAR echo will bend significantly and give erroneous echo ranging results if the speed differences are not taken into account. [See source.]

Answer 3

Water waves are the result of the motion of particles in vertical circles within the medium. Water waves are a combination of both longitudinal and transverse motions. The circles get smaller as you go deeper. This results in the lack of an effect on the bottom by waves traveling in deep water.
When waves reach a depth of water equal to about 2/3 of the wavelength the circular motion at the bottom of the wave column starts to become impeded. The effect becomes more pronounced as depth decreases. The result of this is that the surface particles try to continue at the original velocity while the deeper particle reduce speed. This forces the wave height to increase, peak, and the top of the column to fall forward. (Breaking waves on a beach are a good demonstration)
If you look at the action on an offshore bar you can see the effect as the waves come from deep water, cross the bar, and return to deep water inside the bar.
The classic demonstration is done with a 'wave table'.
Waves are made to pass across the surface of the water. They should remain uniform.
A flat object is then submerged in the water at an angle to the wave pattern on one side of the table.
The path of the waves will be refracted as they pass over the object and the wavelength will decrease. The change in wavelength proves the change in velocity.

Answer 4

Yes, the speed and the wavelength of waves does depend on the depth of water, the deeper the water, greater the speed and wavelength. This is an experimental fact. But for the theory to explain it, I need to look up some book which I donot have in my personal library or search some relevant website.

Answer 5

Depth of any fluid is related to pressure through its density. 76 cm or 760 mm of Hg is equivalent to 1 atmosphere of pressure= 101,300 Pa And in terms of water, this is a height = 10.33 meters or 1033 cm. However there are TWO (2) ways of indicating pressure: one is called ABSOLUTE pressure this pressure always INCLUDES the atmospheric pressure.which acts on every Earth object. The other is called gauge or gage pressure and it does NOT include atmospheric pressure. If the pressure is 2 atmospheres under water and the correct answer is 1033 cm depth then the pressure of 2 atmospheres must be indicated as ABSOLUTE pressure <= because if the pressure were 2 atmospheres of GAUGE pressure then the depth of water would be 2 x 1033 cm or 2066 cm of water (20.66 m) So it is incumbent on UR instruction to specify WHICH pressure is being indicated, in order to compute or know what the water depth equivalent is.

Answer 6

Well,
if u are talking about a sound wave, then it's speed does not change as the medium and the physical conditions remain the same.

if u r talking about a sea wave , then it does not even prevail inside water as it is a surface phenomenon, only on surface of water.

Answer 7

It depends on the wave.Tsunamis' hight depends basically on the depth of the water.Other waves are different.

Answer 8

yes

Answer 9

www.depthwater/speedwave/proveit.com

hope this helps

Answer 10

I dont know.......its your homework...cheater...