Calculating Wave Distance Across Land

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To calculate how far an 80 ft. wave traveling at 800 mph would go across land when it reaches a shore 82 ft. above sea level, one must consider the wave's energy and the terrain's friction. The discussion highlights the complexity of the physics involved, indicating that it goes beyond basic physics principles. The original poster expresses uncertainty about the calculations and seeks help, reflecting a broader concern about understanding natural disasters like earthquakes. The conversation touches on the emotional context of the question, linking it to personal fears about potential earthquakes. Overall, the inquiry emphasizes the need for a deeper understanding of wave dynamics and their interaction with land.
NoHeart
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This isn't homework, but it's a question:
if an 80 ft. wave approaches shore at 800 miles per hour, and the shore is 82 ft. above sea level, how far will the wave travel across land?

My mom lives in California and has become obsessed with this earthquake that will allegedly happen tomorrow or twenty years from now (born-again christian, really into the whole "end times" thing). She thinks I'm smart and asked me to figure this out for her...It's been a while since I've had a physics class and I don't really know where to start with this.
 
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That is wayyyyyy beyond Intro Physics. :smile:
 
Umm... Well, if you do th- *mumbles on*
 
yep

yeah...i knew i couldn't be *that* stupid to be so baffled by the question...thanks anyway!
 
From what I can say LOL... If we were talking forces... Find friction O_o
 
Kindly see the attached pdf. My attempt to solve it, is in it. I'm wondering if my solution is right. My idea is this: At any point of time, the ball may be assumed to be at an incline which is at an angle of θ(kindly see both the pics in the pdf file). The value of θ will continuously change and so will the value of friction. I'm not able to figure out, why my solution is wrong, if it is wrong .
TL;DR Summary: I came across this question from a Sri Lankan A-level textbook. Question - An ice cube with a length of 10 cm is immersed in water at 0 °C. An observer observes the ice cube from the water, and it seems to be 7.75 cm long. If the refractive index of water is 4/3, find the height of the ice cube immersed in the water. I could not understand how the apparent height of the ice cube in the water depends on the height of the ice cube immersed in the water. Does anyone have an...
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