Musings after night cycling
Had a great time during the National Day weekend (6-7th August) with the Odacians (thanks for inviting me along) night cycling. We transversed through the nice quiet spots along Dempsey Road, moved to Fong Seng behind NUS, West Coast, Pandan Loop, Tanjong Pagar, Esplanade, Kallang and finally East Coast beach itself.
My bike cranked up halfway and I could only move with one gear but it was really an enjoyable ride. At the last stop at the East Coast Jetty, all of us were lying down, some drifted off to dreamland while others sang or watched the lone Orion constellation in the sky. The other teachers and myself were walking around, surveying the change in the sky as dawn breaks.
Was leaning over the railing to watch the waves roll in and out of the beach and feeling 'drifty' due to lack of sleep when Gayle popped this question which brought me rapidly back to Earth. What type of waves are these? Longitundinal or transverse? Heh its really amazing how the mundane things you take for granted have these huge gaps in knowledge you never noticed. I quickly tried to recall all the things I learnt about waves. Images of how a fishing float bobbed up and down the waves travelling through a pond flashed across my mind as I desperately tried to recall whatever bits of physics present in the wee hours of the morning.
Hmm.... transverse? I eventually ventured a guess. But knowing at the same time the answer is not complete as one sees the waves lapping to and fro the beach.
Heh I dunno, sorry Gayle. Another humbling experience on how much more reading I have to do.
Reading up I did. Went to one of my trusted websites - Phil Plait's Bad Astronomy: Misconceptions and sniffed around. Found a good deal of information on tidal influences due to the movement of Earth, Sun and the Moon of course. Made a note to read up in detail once I get accustomed to seeing so many physics terms thrown around again.
Nothing there about the nature of the waves. Went to something simpler but equally good, 'open source' Wikipedia.
...Ripples on the surface of a pond are actually a combination of transverse and longitudinal waves; therefore, the points on the surface follow elliptical paths. Wikipedia writeup on waves.
Excellent. Cased solved. The fishing float does not float up and down. It follows an elliptical path.
Another misconception cleared. Thanks Gayle.
My bike cranked up halfway and I could only move with one gear but it was really an enjoyable ride. At the last stop at the East Coast Jetty, all of us were lying down, some drifted off to dreamland while others sang or watched the lone Orion constellation in the sky. The other teachers and myself were walking around, surveying the change in the sky as dawn breaks.
Was leaning over the railing to watch the waves roll in and out of the beach and feeling 'drifty' due to lack of sleep when Gayle popped this question which brought me rapidly back to Earth. What type of waves are these? Longitundinal or transverse? Heh its really amazing how the mundane things you take for granted have these huge gaps in knowledge you never noticed. I quickly tried to recall all the things I learnt about waves. Images of how a fishing float bobbed up and down the waves travelling through a pond flashed across my mind as I desperately tried to recall whatever bits of physics present in the wee hours of the morning.
Hmm.... transverse? I eventually ventured a guess. But knowing at the same time the answer is not complete as one sees the waves lapping to and fro the beach.
Heh I dunno, sorry Gayle. Another humbling experience on how much more reading I have to do.
Reading up I did. Went to one of my trusted websites - Phil Plait's Bad Astronomy: Misconceptions and sniffed around. Found a good deal of information on tidal influences due to the movement of Earth, Sun and the Moon of course. Made a note to read up in detail once I get accustomed to seeing so many physics terms thrown around again.
Nothing there about the nature of the waves. Went to something simpler but equally good, 'open source' Wikipedia.
...Ripples on the surface of a pond are actually a combination of transverse and longitudinal waves; therefore, the points on the surface follow elliptical paths. Wikipedia writeup on waves.
Excellent. Cased solved. The fishing float does not float up and down. It follows an elliptical path.
Another misconception cleared. Thanks Gayle.
posted by chengpuay at 10:12:00 AM
2 Comments:
You were cycling?!
Why humbling? Take the reverse stance - it's surprising we know anything!
Yah true, it's indeed surprising that we know anything.
Went for about 40km that night. Prata stop included. Heh
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