Home / Formulas / Physics Formulas
Formula of Wave Energy
The wave energy density formula according to linear wave theory is
Where,
- E is the mean wave energy density
- H is the wave height
- ρ is the water density
- g is the acceleration due to gravity
The wave power formula in terms of wave energy is given by,
Where,
- cg is the group velocity in m/s.
Solved Numericals
Example 1
A wave in a seashore travels with a height of 5 m. Determine the wave energy density.
Solution:
Given:
Wave height H = 5 m,
Water density ρ = 999.97 kg/m3,
Gravity g = 9.8 m/s2
The wave energy formula is given by,
E = 999.97 × 9.8 × 25 / 16
E = 15312 J
Example 2
A huge wave travels with the energy of 8000 J. Determine its wave height.
Solution:
Given:
Wave energy E = 8000J,
Water density ρ = 999.97 kg/m3,
Gravity g = 9.8 m/s2
The wave height is calculated by wave energy formula,
H = √16E / ρg
= √16 x 8000 /(999.97 x 9.8)
H = 357.7/9799.70
The wave height of the wave is 0.0365 m