Can waves transport energy and matter from one place to another and what is the energy in transit between a system and its surroundings?
Respected sir
Rk Naresh
Waves can indeed transport energy from one place to another, but they typically do not transport matter. This distinction is fundamental in physics. When a wave travels through a medium (like water waves or sound waves in air), it carries energy from one location to another without permanently displacing the material particles of the medium.
Regarding the energy in transit between a system and its surroundings, this concept is often associated with thermodynamics. In thermodynamics, the energy that flows into or out of a system due to a temperature difference is referred to as heat transfer (Q). The transfer of energy due to work done (W) is another form of energy transfer between a system and its surroundings. The first law of thermodynamics states that the change in internal energy (ΔU) of a system is equal to the heat transferred into the system minus the work done by the system:
Δ𝑈=𝑄−𝑊ΔU=Q−W
Here:
- Δ𝑈ΔU is the change in internal energy of the system.
- 𝑄Q is the heat transferred into the system.
- 𝑊W is the work done by the system.
Therefore, the energy in transit between a system and its surroundings can manifest as heat transfer (Q), work done (W), or both, depending on the specific process and system involved.
Go to ocean and watch wavescoming
In. Only trsnsitory advances of water
but the wave energy can topple you
A wave is a disturbance that transfers energy. However, there is no physical transfer of matter from one place to another. It is important to remember that all waves transfer energy but they do not transfer matter. Energy and forces are not matter. As if a ball is placed on the surface of a pond when ripples move across it, the ball will move up and down but not outwards with the wave. Classical waves transfer energy without transporting matter through the medium. Waves in a pond do not carry the water molecules from place to place; rather the wave's energy travels through the water, leaving the water molecules in place, much like a bug bobbing on top of ripples in water. The amount of energy they carry is related to their frequency and their amplitude. The higher the frequency, the more energy, and the higher the amplitude, the more energy. Heat describes the energy in transit between a system and its surroundings. When a solid is heated, the molecules, atoms, or ions of the solid move with greater vigor and eventually break free from their neighbors by overcoming the attractive forces between them, Energy is required to overcome these attractive forces. Energy can be exchanged between a system and its surroundings in two ways: heat and work. Heat is the transfer of energy that occurs when there is a temperature difference between the system and its surroundings. 1) When energy (heat or work) flow out of the system, the system decreases in its amount. This is assigned a negative sign and is called exothermic. 2) When energy (heat or work) flows into the system, the system increases its energy amount. This is assigned a positive sign and is called endothermic. This transfer happens in three different ways by conduction within solids, by the flow of liquid or gas (convection), and by radiation, which can travel across space. Even when a system is isolated, energy is continually being transferred into and out of it by radiation.
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