Will a Skimming Stone Travel Further on Calm or Wavy Water?

  • Context: High School 
  • Thread starter Thread starter verdigris
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Lake
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the question of whether a skimming stone travels further on calm water or wavy water. Participants explore the dynamics of stone skimming, considering factors such as momentum, contact time with the water, and the influence of waves on the stone's trajectory.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant proposes that a stone may skim further on wavy water due to potential momentum gained from the waves if the stone is thrown at the right speed and trajectory.
  • Another participant counters that while the stone might travel further on wavy water, this is not due to momentum gained from the waves; rather, it is suggested that the waves reduce the time the stone is in contact with the water, which may aid in skimming.
  • Additional posts reference external articles related to the topic, indicating that research has been conducted on the mechanics of skimming stones.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the effects of wavy water on the distance a stone can skim, with no consensus reached on whether waves contribute positively to the stone's momentum or not.

Contextual Notes

There are unresolved assumptions regarding the mechanics of momentum transfer and the specific conditions under which a stone skims effectively on different water surfaces.

verdigris
Messages
118
Reaction score
0
If I skim a flat stone across a lake will it go further on a calm,flat,water surface or on a surface covered with waves i.e can the pebble pick up momentum from the waves if it travels at the right speed and trajectory?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
May be in the wavy water, the stone can go further. But it is not because the pebble picks up momentum from the wave. In fact it reduces the time the pebble contacts with water. The waves do not contribute any momentum to the stone in horizontal direction.
 
The researchers on that link have really done some work on skimming stones!
 

Similar threads

High School NASA: Hurricane Anatomy - Understanding Angular Momentum & Air Motion
  • · Replies 11 ·
Replies
11
Views
3K
High School Pumping water upwards into a large water tank
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
3K
Graduate Exactly how do pressure waves work at the molecular level?
  • · Replies 49 ·
2
Replies
49
Views
5K
High School Sympathetic motion generated by cleaning Rubik's cube
  • · Replies 10 ·
Replies
10
Views
1K
High School Can a Fire Tornado Flip an 8 Ton Truck?
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
2K
High School Airplanes Landing & Altitude Problem
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
2K
Undergrad Outgassing of CO2 from a lake after lowering the water level
  • · Replies 10 ·
Replies
10
Views
2K
High School How to shoot longer shots in basketball
  • · Replies 20 ·
Replies
20
Views
3K
How do wind turbines do their thing?
  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
3K
Undergrad How Does Physics Influence Stone Skipping in Water?
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
5K