Question

Minute after Minute, hour after hour, day after day, ocean waves continue to splash onto the shores. Explain why the beach is not completely submerged and why the middle of the ocean has not been yet depleted of its water supply?

Answer 1

1. Remember the property of waves:

1. We know that waves only transport energy, it does not transport the matter.

2. Apply that property in the given situation:

1. So according to that property, ocean waves also transmit energy from one place to another. Ocean waves do not transmit water.
2. Water particles only displace up and down from their mean position in ocean waves, they are not displaced toward the shore.
3. For this reason, water particles staying in the middle of the ocean will never come to the shore, so the ocean will never be depleted of its water supply.
4. However, because the shore is above sea level, few water particles are displaced while they are moving to troughs and crests.
5. So near the sea-shore we often see some water come to the shore and it is pushed back. That is why the beach will never be completely submerged.

Hence,

The shore never sinks into the ocean, because ocean waves do not transport water, they only transport energy.