Question

Do waves accelerate?

I think no.. but i want opinion !

Answer 1

I think water waves do when approaching the shore.

The only time light/sound waves change velocity is when entering/exiting a medium, and it's not really an acceleration or deceleration, it's a change in wavelength.

Answer 2

water waves are complicated waves right?? i mean wave motion is where particles only oscillate about their mean position.. however when you consider huge waves at the beach, water particles DO move isn't that right?

Answer 3

I think in the case of water waves, no actual water moves (not in deep water at least, there it's just an oscillation). I guess close to the shore, the water has to physically move, not just oscillate.

Answer 4

^But at the shore, i guess that'd be due to the fact that as the water shallows, all the energy carried by that water wave has to go somewhere.

But in deep sea, the water particles just bob up and down - you can see this when a boat or w/e goes over a large wave, the water itself is ~stationary as the wave moves through it.

Answer 5

when you say deep water.. are you talking about INSIDE water?? or on the surface of it?

Answer 6

I mean over deep water. Hundreds of kilometres from the shore. I mean waves traveling on the surface, while in deep water.