Which wave has the largest energy density, a-wave or u-wave?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers on the comparison of energy density between two types of waves, referred to as a-wave and u-wave, with a focus on their frequency and intensity. Participants explore how these factors influence total energy and energy density in different contexts, including electromagnetic, water, and sound waves.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants propose that generally, a higher frequency wave will have more energy, but the specifics depend on the type of wave.
  • One participant notes that for electromagnetic waves, energy is independent of frequency when considering intensity, but energy arrives in larger packets as frequency increases, described by the equation E=h*f.
  • Another participant mentions that for water and sound waves, energy is related to the maximum kinetic energy of the medium, which is greater for higher frequency waves at equal amplitudes.
  • There is a suggestion that when discussing energy, it may be more appropriate to refer to energy density, and that lower frequency waves could have more total energy if they last longer.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on how frequency and wave type affect energy density and total energy, indicating that multiple competing perspectives remain without a consensus.

Contextual Notes

Limitations include the dependence on wave type and the potential impact of duration on total energy for lower frequency waves, which remains unresolved.

munky99999
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If 2 waves have the exact same intensity/magnitude. But one's frequency(lets call this a-wave) is double the other's frequency(u-wave). Which has the largest total energy? Or does it matter what type of wave it is?
 
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Generally the higher frequency wave will have more energy and, yes, the details depend on the type of wave.
 
munky99999 said:
If 2 waves have the exact same intensity/magnitude. But one's frequency(lets call this a-wave) is double the other's frequency(u-wave). Which has the largest total energy? Or does it matter what type of wave it is?

For electromagnetic waves, the intensity is [tex] \frac{E_{rms}^2}{c \mu_0}[/tex]

so the energy is independent of frequency as long as c and u0 are independent of frequency.

However, as the frequency goes up, the energy will arrive in larger "packets" given by E=h*f.

I don't know the equations for water or sound waves offhand.
 
For water and sound waves the energy will be related to the maximum kinetic energy of the medium which is clearly greater for higher frequency waves than lower given equal amplitudes.
 
munky99999 said:
If 2 waves have the exact same intensity/magnitude. But one's frequency(lets call this a-wave) is double the other's frequency(u-wave). Which has the largest total energy? Or does it matter what type of wave it is?

Strictly speaking, you should probably be speaking of energy density. If the low frequency waves lasts much longer, it could have more "total energy". But I think your point came across.
 

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