- #1
Sage Lee
- 16
- 0
Hello. I'm not sure the template applies here, as this isn't a textbook style question. I tried to read over the rules and I hope this is the relevant place to put the following query:
I am trying to design a research project in my 1st Engineering Physics class, in which we have full freedom to pick anything we might want to observe, collect data on, and analyze.
Because I'm a moron, I decided to tackle something beyond the scope of this first course, which is of course encouraged. My original thought was simply to "drop different masses into different types of liquid and containers with different depths, and measure 'stuff' [velocity of ripples, height of waves created, etc] and see how that 'stuff' changed as we changed the different variables." That's really the extent of where I'm at in physics so far.
Anyway, today I ran the idea by my teacher, who mentioned that it was a fine idea but that we would probably want to study a particular type of wave, since wave theory has many parts to it. He then suggested Tsunami type waves, and directed me to "Solitons" and "single wave equations".
He's a very helpful teacher, and he would be glad to help further with any questions I have. However, he's a busy man in great demand, so we only got a few minutes of his time, and furthermore, it's now the weekend (classes only through Thursday), so I find myself still with questions that I still need to get answered before I meet with some of my group members tomorrow to start experimenting.
We have a mini-wave tank (meaning ~15 cm deep, ~10cm wide, and 1-1.5 meters long), and the above described ideas. So my question, finally, is this: where do we start here, in an experimental sense? I looked up solitons and single wave equations, but so much of the material is beyond what I can just jump into considering my current understanding of the material. I can't seem to find any "introductory" material relating to what we're trying to do. My team members are all worried we picked something too hard, and they expect me to figure all this out since it was my idea.
So here I am. Can anybody help me out with some direction here? I mean, of course we're going to create waves, but so far all I've come up with is that we might need the sine-gordon equation, and something about "kink solutions," but I haven't the foggiest idea what that really means, or how to go about applying this stuff to our experiments, or even what we should be observing/measuring beyond the stuff above that I mentioned that seems obvious.
If anybody has any suggestions or a good place to start learning some of this material for myself, at a reasonable speed/level for my situation, it would be much appreciated. Thank you in advance for your time.
I am trying to design a research project in my 1st Engineering Physics class, in which we have full freedom to pick anything we might want to observe, collect data on, and analyze.
Because I'm a moron, I decided to tackle something beyond the scope of this first course, which is of course encouraged. My original thought was simply to "drop different masses into different types of liquid and containers with different depths, and measure 'stuff' [velocity of ripples, height of waves created, etc] and see how that 'stuff' changed as we changed the different variables." That's really the extent of where I'm at in physics so far.
Anyway, today I ran the idea by my teacher, who mentioned that it was a fine idea but that we would probably want to study a particular type of wave, since wave theory has many parts to it. He then suggested Tsunami type waves, and directed me to "Solitons" and "single wave equations".
He's a very helpful teacher, and he would be glad to help further with any questions I have. However, he's a busy man in great demand, so we only got a few minutes of his time, and furthermore, it's now the weekend (classes only through Thursday), so I find myself still with questions that I still need to get answered before I meet with some of my group members tomorrow to start experimenting.
We have a mini-wave tank (meaning ~15 cm deep, ~10cm wide, and 1-1.5 meters long), and the above described ideas. So my question, finally, is this: where do we start here, in an experimental sense? I looked up solitons and single wave equations, but so much of the material is beyond what I can just jump into considering my current understanding of the material. I can't seem to find any "introductory" material relating to what we're trying to do. My team members are all worried we picked something too hard, and they expect me to figure all this out since it was my idea.
So here I am. Can anybody help me out with some direction here? I mean, of course we're going to create waves, but so far all I've come up with is that we might need the sine-gordon equation, and something about "kink solutions," but I haven't the foggiest idea what that really means, or how to go about applying this stuff to our experiments, or even what we should be observing/measuring beyond the stuff above that I mentioned that seems obvious.
If anybody has any suggestions or a good place to start learning some of this material for myself, at a reasonable speed/level for my situation, it would be much appreciated. Thank you in advance for your time.
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