A wave in which the water is deeper than one-half of its wavelength is termed a...

A wave in which the water is deeper than one-half of its wavelength is termed a...

• A. Shallow-Water Wave
• B. Deep-Water Wave
• C. Intertidal Wave
• D. Capillary Wave

Answer: (B)

The main idea is that the classification of surface waves depends on how deep the water is compared to the wavelength of the wave. When the depth is greater than half of the wavelength, the water is in deep water, and the wave is a deep-water wave. In this regime, the orbital motion of water particles extends through most of the depth with little influence from the bottom, and the wave speed mainly depends on gravity and the wavelength rather than on depth. Capillary and intertidal terms describe other phenomena, not this deep-water regime, and shallow-water waves occur when the depth is small relative to the wavelength, with bottom effects becoming important and the speed following c ≈ √(gd). So the described condition—depth > L/2—fits deep-water waves.

The main idea is that the classification of surface waves depends on how deep the water is compared to the wavelength of the wave. When the depth is greater than half of the wavelength, the water is in deep water, and the wave is a deep-water wave. In this regime, the orbital motion of water particles extends through most of the depth with little influence from the bottom, and the wave speed mainly depends on gravity and the wavelength rather than on depth. Capillary and intertidal terms describe other phenomena, not this deep-water regime, and shallow-water waves occur when the depth is small relative to the wavelength, with bottom effects becoming important and the speed following c ≈ √(gd). So the described condition—depth > L/2—fits deep-water waves.