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why do long wavelengths travel further than short wavelengths? |
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| Feb11-05, 10:03 AM | #1 |
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why do long wavelengths travel further than short wavelengths?
What is it that allows longer wavelengths to travel further than shorter wavelengths?
Is it because of diffraction properties or is it related to the energy of the wave? Or perhaps a combination of several things....? Thanks. Russ |
| Feb11-05, 11:10 AM | #2 |
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I think you're taking about radio waves aren't you? If I remember corrently, it's because longwave is diffracted by the earth's atmosphere and so can 'cling' to the surface of the earth, whereas shortwave just goes out into space.
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| Feb11-05, 11:55 AM | #3 |
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You are going to have to be a lot more precise! Sound waves?? or Electro-magnetic (light and radio) waves. In the atmosphere or open space (sound waves, of course, cannot exist without a medium- electromagnetic waves travel through open space any distance without regard to their frequency).
Low frequency (long wave length) sound waves in the atmosphere (or water- ask any whale!) travel farther than high frequency (short wave length) sound waves because the short wave lengths are more easily absorbed by the molecules in the air. |
| Feb11-05, 11:56 AM | #4 |
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why do long wavelengths travel further than short wavelengths?
Hey |2eason.....
Thanks for the reply.... So is this true for waves in general...and if so, then why? Russ |
| Feb11-05, 12:06 PM | #5 |
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Hey there HallsofIvy......
I was looking more for general reasons a long wavelength would travel a longer distance than a short wavelength in some environment......I suspect it is related to the two things already mentioned in the responses thus far....diffraction and absorption....but I want to verify I am correct before I begin looking for specifics for various waves... Thanks.. Russ |
| Feb11-05, 01:19 PM | #6 |
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What's the main charateristics diffracted waves must have...?
Daniel. |
| Feb11-05, 02:47 PM | #7 |
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Hey there dextercioby.....
If that is the question then my answer would be the wavelength of the wave compared to the physical dimensions of the object that the wave is being diffracted around.... Am I understanding your question here or did you mean something else? Russ |
| Feb11-05, 02:52 PM | #8 |
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I meant exactly that.Now,if you know that,what can u say about diffracting sound waves...?
Daniel. |
| Feb11-05, 03:14 PM | #9 |
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Russ |
| Feb11-05, 05:04 PM | #10 |
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Yes,it's all about the size of the objects encountered in the way.Water/air molecules are definitely not an issue for sound waves...And also big objects.Yet one may argue about "edge diffraction"...
Daniel. |
| Feb12-05, 09:11 AM | #11 |
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Short water waves governed by surface tension move swifter than longer capillary waves.
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| Feb12-05, 01:31 PM | #12 |
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....I am not very familiar with "edge diffraction"...... Russ |
| Feb12-05, 01:42 PM | #13 |
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Is this correct? I really do not know what capillary waves are.....I will have to look into that.... I dont know or understand a lot about physics, math, or engineering.....so I am very much a beginner. Russ |
| Feb12-05, 01:43 PM | #14 |
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Are u then familiar with the electromagnetic theory of light and especially scalar diffraction...? Daniel. |
| Feb12-05, 01:59 PM | #15 |
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And yes, for most water waves, gravity is the most important force governing wave propagation. Capillary forces (i.e, the effects of surface tension) only become important (for water, that is) when the wavelengths are about 10-20 cm's or less. |
| Feb13-05, 02:24 AM | #16 |
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Ooops......I must have misread your reply.....my mistake....Since air molecules are so much smaller than the wavelengths of sound waves the effects due to diffraction are minimal... To be honest Ive never studied absorption of different wavelengths in any depth..... As far as scalar diffraction.....I do not remember ever studying that or even hearing that term before.....so Im not sure what it is.... Russ |
| Feb13-05, 09:22 AM | #17 |
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The scalar theory of electromagnetic wave diffraction assumes the fields/potential to be scalar and from that builds the whole theory of Fresnel and Fraunhofer diffraction.About 350 pages in the book by Born & Wolf...
Daniel. |
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