Battle of Trafalgar

[Becca]

Hi, I have been set an unusually obscure physics-related conundrum about the battle of Trafalgar. Apparently, the day before the battle a heavy swell was running (ships experienced waves of large amplitude and wavelength). The next day, heavy seas struck the fleet. I have to explain this series of events.

Can anybody decipher this? It just seems to point to a bit of bad weather to me, but I'm sure there must be some sort of physics theory behind it.

Thanks.
Becca :s

[Buffy]

Socratic method question: What happens to waves traveling through a viscous medium over distance?

Thinking is magic: think long enough and the answer will appear before your very eyes!
Buffy

[LaurieAG]

Originally Posted by Becca

Can anybody decipher this? It just seems to point to a bit of bad weather to me, but I'm sure there must be some sort of physics theory behind it.

Hi Becca,

Have you ever done any sailing, navigation, or had a look at the battles sea charts?

[Becca]

I have done a little sailing off the coasts of Scotland and the south of England but navigation is a bit beyond me, sorry. I'm also looking up your suggestion Buffy

[LaurieAG]

Originally Posted by Becca

I have done a little sailing off the coasts of Scotland and the south of England but navigation is a bit beyond me, sorry.

Hi Becca,

There's one important thing you should know about sailing, while you can sail directly with the wind you cannot sail directly against the wind. Sailing and navigation are a bit like vectors in physics. These details can be very important for fighting a battle in sailing ships, as was done at Trafalgar, depending on where the two fleets are and where the wind is blowing from.

[Buffy]

Another hint: Knowing about sailing (and actually I do) has very little to do with the answer!

When you toss a stone in the water, it locally produces turbulence. What happens to it?

Barometer, n.: An ingenious instrument which indicates what kind of weather we are having,
Buffy

[Qfwfq]

Originally Posted by Buffy

What happens to waves traveling through a viscous medium over distance?

Er... sorry but I believe viscosity isn't the thing to think about.

I do however agree that Laurie was being very dispersive. This is the only weak nexus his replies had with answering the question about Trafalgar, if you get the riddle.

[Mohit Pandey]

Originally Posted by Becca

Hi, I have been set an unusually obscure physics-related conundrum about the battle of Trafalgar. Apparently, the day before the battle a heavy swell was running (ships experienced waves of large amplitude and wavelength). The next day, heavy seas struck the fleet. I have to explain this series of events.

Hello Becca!
What is abnormal about this normal sea phenomenon? There was indication one day before that the a storm was approaching the fleet.

[Qfwfq]

Nothing abnormal, it's a physics question.

[LaurieAG]

Originally Posted by Qfwfq

I do however agree that Laurie was being very dispersive.

Hi Q,

This chart shows the battle layout and the wind direction.

Image:Trafalgar aufstellung.jpg - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This chart shows the progress of the battle.

Image:Trafalgar 1200hr.gif - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Apart from the loss of HMS Eurydice the wind was very dispersive to the French and Spanish fleets as it was physically impossible for their sailing ships to go on the offensive and sail directly into the wind and the approaching English fleet.