Wave Equation

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Wave Equation

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The partial differential equation of the form

Missing Image:img src="SP7_w_files/waveeq.gif" alt="wave equation" where Missing Image:img src="SP7_w_files/lapeq2.gif" alt="italic lowercase rho" align="middle" is usually a function of the position and time

coordinates; Missing Image:img src="SP7_w_files/del.gif" alt="del operator"² is the Laplacian operator; t is the time; and C² is a constant. Also called equation of wave motion . See wave, gravity wave. </dd>
The general solution to this equation is any function defined over a plane, the phase front, moving perpendicular to itself at the speed c. [[/a>|/a> ]]

References

This article is based on NASA's Dictionary of Technical Terms for Aerospace Use