serious question about waves

[battycoati]

I've been thinking about the common properties between waves of electromagnetic radiation and waves of macroscopic things like water... eg. we understand them in terms of wavelength and frequency.

 

Isn't that a pretty big coincidence? Why is this so? And is this actually so?

 

For example, have we actually unified any of the equations or is it just convenient to use the word wave?

 

First post be gentle.

[ajb]

For example, have we actually unified any of the equations or is it just convenient to use the word wave?

 

 

Both the equations for water waves and electromagnetic radiation look the same, they are the wave equation. Solutions to the wave equation are waves.

[robinpike]

I've been thinking about the common properties between waves of electromagnetic radiation and waves of macroscopic things like water... eg. we understand them in terms of wavelength and frequency.

 

Isn't that a pretty big coincidence? Why is this so? And is this actually so?

 

For example, have we actually unified any of the equations or is it just convenient to use the word wave?

 

First post be gentle.

 

It is just convenient to use the same term - a wave in water is the movement of quadrillions of water molecules moving against each other.

[Enthalpy]

Great physicists in the past were puzzled by this analogy and wanted electromagnetic waves to be the vibration of a support:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luminiferous_aether

but the search for this support gave a decidedly negative result

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelson-Morley_experiment

even with theoretical refinements like aether drag.

 

For over a century, this quest is abandoned in favour of Relativity, which succeeds since then in each and every test, and far more convincing to me, is used daily by millions of engineers and physicists to make correct predictions. Frankly, any attempt back is vain.

[swansont]

It is just convenient to use the same term - a wave in water is the movement of quadrillions of water molecules moving against each other.

 

However, the wave equation does not describe the motion of the molecules themselves. It tells us the bulk motion of the water, and the transfer of energy and momentum.

[battycoati]

Thanks for your responses. I'm going to study waves to see how these things are possible.

[JohnStu]

Okay allow me to list out the waves for clarity:

 

 

sound waves, water wave, light

 

they are the three primal waves

[Delta1212]

Okay allow me to list out the waves for clarity:

 

 

sound waves, water wave, light

 

they are the three primal waves

Based on what?