Bullwhip wave mechanics: What changes?

[Greylorn]

What wave property changes as a bullwhip wave propagates toward the tip? Wavelength or amplitude?

The problem seemed at first analogous to that of describing the behavior of a sound wave propagating through air of linearly decreasing density, except that sound is longitudinal.

 

[univox360]

This might help you think about it :)

http://paws.kettering.edu/~drussell/Demos/reflect/reflect.html

 

[Bill_K]

This is one of those controversial issues that seesaws between rival camps: in this case the supersonic versus the non-supersonic factions. Even skilled whip crackers disagree. The best explanation I've found so far is here: http://home.comcast.net/~a-mcnibble/Rants/WhyWhipsCrack.pdf according to which it's the concentration of kinetic energy into a smaller and smaller whip segment that does it.

 

[Greylorn]

This might help you think about it :)

http://paws.kettering.edu/~drussell/Demos/reflect/reflect.html

Thank you! The link answered the question in favor of amplitude, and is a fine exposition of other aspects of wave mechanics, providing even more to think about. Greatly appreciated.

 

[Greylorn]

This is one of those controversial issues that seesaws between rival camps: in this case the supersonic versus the non-supersonic factions. Even skilled whip crackers disagree. The best explanation I've found so far is here: http://home.comcast.net/~a-mcnibble/Rants/WhyWhipsCrack.pdf according to which it's the concentration of kinetic energy into a smaller and smaller whip segment that does it.

Bill,
Great link! Although I was more interested in the mechanics of a transverse wave in a variable medium (looking for cosmological implications) than in what happens at the end of a wave's transmission, I was being short sighted. The end may be the most important part of the problem. Thank you for the insight!