Re: A discrete model of waves propagation


Sam Wormley wrote:
LordBeotian wrote:

"Sue..." <suzysewnshow@xxxxxxxxxxxx> ha scritto

They are *springs*, not strings!

It doesn't matter what you call them. The mass and the
tension are the operative parameters.

Words are important, you can't call "string" a spring and you can't work
with springs like they were strings.


Bull***--it's the equations that accurately represent the
phenomenon being investigated that are important!

If the equations are the same, one can work with springs as if they
were strings. One must first, however, show that the equations are the
same. The wave equation ought to be about the same, except that in
LordBeotian's problem there will be discrete differences in the place
of spatial derivatives -- a difference that will be negligible if the
number of masses is large enough. But what Sue was suggesting was to
use

v = sqrt( T / (m/L) )

to get the velocity of waves in the spring. As I understand
LordBeotian's problem, this would give the incorrect answer zero, since
there is no tension or compression in the springs except when a wave's
travelling through.

.