From Newton's second law to Huygens's principle: visualizing waves in a large array of masses joined by springs

Abstract

By simulating the dynamics of a bidimensional array of springs and masses, the propagation of conveniently generated waves is visualized. The simulation is exclusively based on Newton's second law and was made to provide insight into the physics of wave propagation. By controlling parameters such as the magnitude of the mass and the elastic constant of the mesh elements, it was possible to change the properties of the medium in order to observe the characteristic phenomena of wave mechanics, such as diffraction and interference. Finally, several examples of waves propagating in media with different configurations are presented, including the application of the simulation to the study of frequency response of a complex structure.