| RefNo | PP/10/10 |
| Previous numbers | PP/42/10 |
| Level | Item |
| Title | Paper, 'On the waves produced by a single impulse in water of any depth, or in a dispersive medium' by W [William] Thomson |
| Date | 1887 |
| Description | Thomson writes: 'For brevity and simplicity consider only the case of two-dimensional motion. All that it is necessary to know of the medium is the relation between the wave-velocity and the wave-length of an endless procession of periodic waves. The result of our work will show us that the velocity of progress of a zero, or maximum, or minimum, in any part of a varying group of waves, is equal to the velocity of progress of periodic waves of wave-length equal to a certain length, which may be defined as the wave-length in the neighbourhood of the particular point looked to in the group (a length which will generally be intermediate between the distances from the point considered to its next-neighbour corresponding points on its two sides).'
Annotations in pencil and ink throughout.
Subject: Physics / Fluid dynamics
Received 26 January 1887. Read 3 February 1887.
A version of this paper was published in volume 42 of the Proceedings of the Royal Society as 'On the waves produced by a single impulse in water of any depth, or in a dispersive medium'. |
| Extent | 12p |
| Format | Manuscript |
| PhysicalDescription | Ink and graphite pencil on paper |
| Digital images | View item on Science in the Making |
| AccessStatus | Open |
| RelatedMaterial | DOI: 10.1098/rspl.1887.0017 |
Fellows associated with this archive
| Code | PersonName | Dates |
| NA8289 | Thomson; William (1824 - 1907); Baron Kelvin of Largs; physicist | 1824 - 1907 |