Why does all energy travel in waves?

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    Energy Travel Waves
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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the nature of energy propagation, specifically questioning why energy is often described as traveling in waves rather than in straight lines. The scope includes conceptual understanding and technical explanations related to different forms of energy, such as electromagnetic waves and mechanical waves.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses curiosity about why all energy travels in waves, suggesting a generalization about energy propagation.
  • Another participant challenges the notion that all energy travels in waves by citing a bullet as an example of energy that does not follow a sine wave pattern, while acknowledging that photons may have wave-like properties.
  • A different participant explains that waves arise from disturbances from equilibrium positions, involving restoring forces and inertia, leading to oscillatory motion that can propagate as waves.
  • One participant inquires whether the discussion relates to the de Broglie hypothesis, which connects wave and particle behavior in quantum mechanics.
  • Another participant comments on the representation of electrical current as a sine wave, clarifying that it is a graphical representation and that the actual movement involves electrons, which may not exhibit wave-like behavior in the same sense as light does.
  • This participant also distinguishes between mechanical waves and light, noting that mechanical waves involve compression and rarefaction rather than a simple wave motion.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the nature of energy propagation, with some supporting the wave model for certain types of energy (like light) while others argue against the universality of this model, particularly in the context of mechanical energy and projectiles. The discussion remains unresolved with multiple competing perspectives.

Contextual Notes

There are limitations in the discussion regarding the definitions of energy types and the assumptions about wave behavior in different contexts, which are not fully explored or agreed upon.

DARKSYDE
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i understand what a sine wave is, as well as the hertz. but I am curious as to why all energy travels in a wave and not a straight line.
 
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All energy?
A bullet fired has increased energy. Right?
The bullet does not travel in a sine wave pattern.

Still, I assume you are talking more about things such as photons which, though, most certainly traveling in a straight line(generalized), do indeed have sine-wave components.
An interesting question.
 
Generally speaking, waves occur when something has been moved away from an equilibrium position, then some kind of restoring force makes it returns to the equilibrium position, but its inertia makes it overshoot the center and it swings too far in the opposite direction, then it returns toward the center, but overshoots the center again, etc., etc. If this pattern moves along a line and travels, we get a wave.
 
are you talking about the de broglie hypothesis.
 
The current in the graph that you see (sine wave) is just a graph of t v/s current or potential...in reality it's just electrons moving in the conductor...that graph does not show any flow...it's just aaa...a graph...you know.

Mechanical waves, for e.g. do not travel in "waves"...I mean unlike the case with light, it moves with compression and rarefactions.
 

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