Science Common Sense

1672 - What happens when a wave encounters different mediums, for example a wave on a rope?

Imagine you're holding a rope and you make a wave by moving your hand up and down. The wave travels easily along the rope when the rope is smooth and straight. But what if you tie a knot in the rope or attach a heavier or lighter string to the end of the rope?

When a wave on a rope encounters a different medium, like a knot or a different type of string, three things can happen:

1. Reflection: The wave bounces back. This is like hitting a wall with a ball. The wave can't keep going, so it turns around and goes back the way it came.
2. Refraction: The wave bends. This is like walking from one type of floor to another, like from carpet to tile. The wave changes direction a little bit, like how your footsteps might change.
3. Absorption: The wave stops moving. This is like putting your hands on a rope to stop a wave. The energy from the wave is transferred to the new medium, like the knot or the different string.

So, when a wave on a rope encounters a different medium, it can bounce back, bend, or stop moving. Pretty cool, right?