Will tsunami waves travel forever if there was no land?
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If there was no land for tsunami waves to collide with, can the waves travel around the globe for forever?
waves water solitons tsunami
edited 2 hours ago
Qmechanic♦
108k122021255
asked 2 hours ago
BodvarionBodvarion
212
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add a comment |
$begingroup$
If there was no land for tsunami waves to collide with, can the waves travel around the globe for forever?
waves water solitons tsunami
edited 2 hours ago
Qmechanic♦
108k122021255
asked 2 hours ago
BodvarionBodvarion
212
$endgroup$
add a comment |
$begingroup$
If there was no land for tsunami waves to collide with, can the waves travel around the globe for forever?
waves water solitons tsunami
edited 2 hours ago
Qmechanic♦
108k122021255
asked 2 hours ago
BodvarionBodvarion
212
$endgroup$
If there was no land for tsunami waves to collide with, can the waves travel around the globe for forever?
waves water solitons tsunami
waves water solitons tsunami
edited 2 hours ago
Qmechanic♦
108k122021255
asked 2 hours ago
BodvarionBodvarion
212
edited 2 hours ago
Qmechanic♦
108k122021255
asked 2 hours ago
BodvarionBodvarion
212
edited 2 hours ago
Qmechanic♦
108k122021255
edited 2 hours ago
Qmechanic♦
108k122021255
edited 2 hours ago
Qmechanic♦
108k122021255
108k122021255
asked 2 hours ago
BodvarionBodvarion
212
asked 2 hours ago
BodvarionBodvarion
212
asked 2 hours ago
BodvarionBodvarion
212
212
add a comment |
add a comment |
1 Answer
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To answer this, I would appeal to the general principle which we call the 2nd law of thermodynamics. One way of expressing it is that the entropy of an isolated system cannot decrease. This means that in order to keep going for ever, a wave motion would have to involve no entropy increase. But almost all processes involve some increase of entropy, and in the case of water waves this is certainly going to happen, because of viscosity and turbulence in the water. Therefore the wave will gradually dissipate its energy and eventually die down.
answered 2 hours ago
Andrew SteaneAndrew Steane
5,7941736
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1 Answer
1
active
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1 Answer
1
active
oldest
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active
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active
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votes
$begingroup$
To answer this, I would appeal to the general principle which we call the 2nd law of thermodynamics. One way of expressing it is that the entropy of an isolated system cannot decrease. This means that in order to keep going for ever, a wave motion would have to involve no entropy increase. But almost all processes involve some increase of entropy, and in the case of water waves this is certainly going to happen, because of viscosity and turbulence in the water. Therefore the wave will gradually dissipate its energy and eventually die down.
answered 2 hours ago
Andrew SteaneAndrew Steane
5,7941736
$endgroup$
add a comment |
$begingroup$
To answer this, I would appeal to the general principle which we call the 2nd law of thermodynamics. One way of expressing it is that the entropy of an isolated system cannot decrease. This means that in order to keep going for ever, a wave motion would have to involve no entropy increase. But almost all processes involve some increase of entropy, and in the case of water waves this is certainly going to happen, because of viscosity and turbulence in the water. Therefore the wave will gradually dissipate its energy and eventually die down.
answered 2 hours ago
Andrew SteaneAndrew Steane
5,7941736
$endgroup$
add a comment |
$begingroup$
To answer this, I would appeal to the general principle which we call the 2nd law of thermodynamics. One way of expressing it is that the entropy of an isolated system cannot decrease. This means that in order to keep going for ever, a wave motion would have to involve no entropy increase. But almost all processes involve some increase of entropy, and in the case of water waves this is certainly going to happen, because of viscosity and turbulence in the water. Therefore the wave will gradually dissipate its energy and eventually die down.
answered 2 hours ago
Andrew SteaneAndrew Steane
5,7941736
$endgroup$
To answer this, I would appeal to the general principle which we call the 2nd law of thermodynamics. One way of expressing it is that the entropy of an isolated system cannot decrease. This means that in order to keep going for ever, a wave motion would have to involve no entropy increase. But almost all processes involve some increase of entropy, and in the case of water waves this is certainly going to happen, because of viscosity and turbulence in the water. Therefore the wave will gradually dissipate its energy and eventually die down.
answered 2 hours ago
Andrew SteaneAndrew Steane
5,7941736
answered 2 hours ago
Andrew SteaneAndrew Steane
5,7941736
answered 2 hours ago
Andrew SteaneAndrew Steane
5,7941736
answered 2 hours ago
Andrew SteaneAndrew Steane
5,7941736
5,7941736
add a comment |
add a comment |
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