Final answer:
Dipping your finger repeatedly into water creates waves, and doing it more frequently can cause waves to appear stationary due to interference patterns. The size of the waves is influenced by the force of the dip, not the frequency of the dips. Water waves consist of energy moving through the water with the water particles moving up and down, not traveling with the wave.
Step-by-step explanation:
If you dip your finger repeatedly onto the surface of still water, you produce waves. The more frequently you dip your finger, the waves become stationary. This phenomenon occurs because the energy transferred to the water by your finger creates ripples or waves that propagate outward. The frequency of dipping does not necessarily change the size of the waves, rather it can affect the pattern they form.
If your dips are regular and frequent enough, they can produce a standing wave pattern, where the waves appear to be still or stationary at certain points. This effect is due to the waves interfering with each other; it is not related to the size of the waves, which is more influenced by the force of the dip rather than the frequency.
Misconception Alert: It's worth noting that water waves are a type of energy transmission where the water particles themselves do not travel with the wave but instead move up and down, transferring energy through the medium. This is different from what many believe, which is that waves push the water significantly from one place to another.