Wave Physics

Wave Physics Validation

When working on wave simulation or physics code, validate against these foundational principles.

Core Principles (from plans/00-principles.md)

1. Waves are energy, not water movement - Water particles move in orbital paths, not with the wave
2. Deep water: Circular orbital motion, unaffected by seafloor
3. Shallow water: Elliptical orbits compressed by seafloor friction
4. Shoaling: Waves slow down, compress, and increase in height as depth decreases
5. Breaking criteria: Wave breaks when height > 0.78 × water depth

Validation Checklist

When reviewing or writing physics code:

• Does the implementation treat waves as energy propagation?
• Is orbital motion correctly circular (deep) vs elliptical (shallow)?
• Does shoaling increase wave height as depth decreases?
• Is the 0.78 breaking ratio respected?
• Are foam effects tied to energy dissipation at breaking?

Reference Files

• plans/00-principles.md - Foundational physics concepts
• plans/reference/reference-wave-physics.md - Detailed physics reference
• plans/model/ - Implementation plans for physics systems

When to Apply

Automatically apply this skill when:

• Editing files matching src/**/wave*.js or src/**/simulation*.js
• User mentions: shoaling, wave breaking, orbital motion, foam physics
• Creating or editing plans in plans/model/