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From: Peter Osman <rebyl_kayak_at_hotmail.com>
subject: [Paddlewise] wave dynamics - was wave speed - (totally trivial question!)
Date: Wed, 12 Apr 2000 11:19:47 GMT
G'Day,
        Following Bill's question and John's lead I tried calculating
the energy of a sea wave using a sine function and got an estimate of
p*g*0.36*H (Like John I use g & p for acceleration due to gravity and
water density and H for the peak to trough height of the wave). I'm
guessing John's wave would have been somewhat triangular in shape and
probably more relevant for calculating the energy of the wave about to
trash the paddler! :~)

All the best, PeterO

Bill wrote
>Now - can one or more of you tell me how to compute the
>potential/kinetic energy in waves of different characteristics? (Yeah I 
>know - go out there and see how fast I get trashed - but
>seriously now....
>
John Winters wrote
>The potential energy per unit area in a wave = pg*(H^2)/8  H^2 = the wave 
>height squared and g = the acceleration due to gravity and p = the density 
>of the water. (I think I have that right).



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