2014_04_20


Mike Polioudakis


Building the wave equation (or wave equations)


This note follows from an earlier note about getting a better feel for using derivatives and for the physical reality behind derivatives.


I do not have a feel for the relation between the wave equation and physical reality. I don’t have a feel for how the wave equation is built up out of physical reality. I have read derivations of the wave equation although I do not recall any now. Mostly they are condensed into the first few pages of books that have to do with particular topics in which the wave equation is used a lot, such as on electromagnetism. I would like a reference to a slow, clear, logical building of wave equations with a clear reference to physical reality at each step. I would like a reference to slow, clear, logical illustrations of how the wave equation is modified to respond to particular physical realities. It seems somebody should be able to do this with simple waves such as slinkies or sound waves.