wave
Discover the fascinating maths behind rainbows, rogue waves and many more applications that is being explored by researchers at the INI
Dispersion lies at the heart of many dramatic phenomena - explore the maths that explains it!
If you've ever marvelled at a rainbow, you have witnessed dispersion in action!
Ripples on a pond, the swell of ocean waves, your favourite song – these can all be described using sine waves. But how do we describe a sine wave?
Ocean waves are not moving walls of water. Instead, it's some kind of energy that moves along. But then, what happens to the water itself? This isn't just an idle question to ponder while watching the ocean — its answer may help protect us from it too. And it requires some sophisticated maths.
A massive earthquake hit Japan earlier today, registering 8.9 on the Richter scale and the largest ever recorded for Japan. The tsunami triggered by the quake brought a 10m high wall of water in northern Japan, and other countries are now waiting for it to hit their shores.
But what causes earthquakes and tsunamis and what can we do to protect ourselves from their destructive power?