Segment V10.1: Bicycle Through a Puddle

(Related to Textbook Section 10.2.2 - Froude Number Effects)

The wave pattern made by an object moving through water depends on whether the object moves slower or faster than the wave speed. These conditions correspond to a Froude number (Fr) less than or greater than one.

Riding a bike through a puddle produces surface waves. If the bike is stationary (Fr=0), the waves spread out as concentric circles. A slowly moving bike (Fr<1) generates waves that travel outward in all directions, although relative to the bike they move more slowly upstream than downstream. At higher speeds when the bike travels faster than the wave (Fr>1) a characteristic V-shaped wave pattern is produced.