Question

Part c: Click slow motion to slow down the action. Study one particular bead on the string. How does the bead move as the waves move? Does the bead change its position on the string?

Answer 1

In a virtual physics wave simulation, a bead on a string moves in simple harmonic motion, oscillating up and down without changing its lateral position on the string as the wave passes through.

Step-by-step explanation:

When observing the movement of a bead on a string in a virtual physics simulation of wave motion, you're likely seeing a demonstration of sinusoidal waves. The bead itself moves in a simple harmonic motion, oscillating up and down around its original position.

As the wave travels through the string, the bead's lateral (side-to-side) position on the string does not change; it remains in the same position on the string. However, it does move vertically, going up and down, as the wave passes. This is indicative of how particles in a medium move when a wave transfers energy through the medium.