If the energy of the wave becomes part of the internal energy of the object, then the wave's energy is

Question

Physics

Sarai Holder

25 February, 18:35

If the energy of the wave becomes part of the internal energy of the object, then the wave's energy is

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Answers (2)

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Spunky · Answer 1

If the energy of the wave becomes part of the internal energy of the object, then the wave's energy is reflected.

Patrick Whitehead · Answer 2

The wave's energy is absorbed. In mechanical waves (sound, etc) this is done through phonon exchange. With light it's a photon/phonon interaction. Think about it like this:

If the wave's energy is reflected then it does not become part of the internal energy also. If it did, the energy would be doubled: it is reflected back into where it came from and is also now inside the object as internal energy. This violates the conservation of energy.