Making Waves by Carly Altizer

Carly Altizer

Natural

Making Waves

 

This photograph of a water strider demonstrates surface tension and wave interference. A water strider is small enough that the surface tension, which is the attractive force between molecules of a liquid, of the water is able to hold it up so that it does not sink. Male water striders vibrate their legs to create ripples in the water, and these ripples demonstrate wave interference. The waves that are farther away from the water strider demonstrate constructive interference, which occurs when crest meets crest and trough meets trough. Waves like this are in phase, and the result of this interference is a larger wave. On the other hand, destructive interference occurs when the crest of one wave hits the trough of another wave. Waves that meet in this manner are out of phase, and they cancel each other out. In this photograph, the water strider creates two sets of waves by vibrating his legs on both sides of his body. The intersection between these two sets of waves, which is at the center of the photograph, demonstrates destructive interference.

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