Final answer:
Circular water waves decrease in amplitude as they move away from a dropped rock because of energy conservation. The wave spreads out over a larger circumference, causing the energy to be distributed over a larger area, resulting in a decrease in amplitude.
The Correct option is; a) Energy conservation
Step-by-step explanation:
As circular water waves move away from where a rock is dropped, their amplitude decreases. This is due to a phenomenon called energy conservation.
When the rock is dropped, it creates a disturbance in the water, which propagates outwards as a wave. As the wave travels, it spreads out over a larger area, causing the energy to be distributed over a larger circumference. This leads to a decrease in the wave's amplitude, as intensity is proportional to the amplitude squared.
Circular water waves decrease in amplitude as they move away from where a rock is dropped due to energy conservation.
s the waves spread out, the energy of the wave is distributed over a larger area. This increasing circumference of the wave front means the same amount of energy is spread over a greater area, causing a decrease in intensity, which is proportional to the square of the amplitude.
The correct answer is not due to destructive interference, diffraction effect, or reflection off the rock. Instead, the decrease in amplitude is a result of the wave energy being conserved and distributed across an expanding wave front, consistent with the principles of wave behavior and energy dispersion.