Waves

This applet simulates an ocean wave shape with the graph of the sine curve. With the sliders at the bottom of the applet, adjust the four parameters a, b, c, and d in the equation y = a*sin[b*(t-c)]+d and see the resulting graph (where independent variable t is graphed horizontally and dependent variable y is graphed vertically).

See how adjusting each parameter's slider affects the graph. Can you predict what will happen ahead of time? When you think you have a good feel for how these are related, try filling in the "lab report" for Waves.

The code for the applet above is online.

Here is a picture of a trimaran model, designed by Ensign Odom of USNA, in a 120 foot tank with wave maker. It is encountering a scaled version of sea state 5 while traveling at 20 knots. Note the roughly sinusoidal shape of the wave. A larger view is available.

Below are thumbnail U.S. Navy photos of ships encountering ocean waves.

Full size pictures with captions are available too, but take a long time to download.

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USNA Mathematics Department
Comments to: Professor Carol G. Crawford, at cgc@nadn.navy.mil or Professor Mark D. Meyerson, at mdm@nadn.navy.mil