Why is it that when you produce a mechanical (transverse) wave, on a string for example, the reflected wave has the same amplitude as the incident wave if its reflected from a fixed end?
The energy of a wave corresponds to its amplitude right, so a portion of the is energy transmitted to the fixed end, the inverted reflected wave yet has the same amplitude as the incident wave even tough it does not have the same energy?
The energy of a wave corresponds to its amplitude right, so a portion of the is energy transmitted to the fixed end, the inverted reflected wave yet has the same amplitude as the incident wave even tough it does not have the same energy?
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the reflected wave only has the same amplitude if the interaction between the mechanical wave and the fixed end is perfectly elastic
so
you are on to something here
in practice at least some of the waves energy is transferred in the reflection and the wave's amplitude is at least slightly diminished
this is a form of 'damping' and in part accounts for why a plucked guitar string does not just vibrate forever
(of course, a whole lot of energy is lost within the string due to friction, too)
so
you are on to something here
in practice at least some of the waves energy is transferred in the reflection and the wave's amplitude is at least slightly diminished
this is a form of 'damping' and in part accounts for why a plucked guitar string does not just vibrate forever
(of course, a whole lot of energy is lost within the string due to friction, too)