ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

kelvin wake pattern

Imagine you are swimming in a pool. When you move your arms and legs, you create waves in the water. These waves spread out from you and can be seen all around the pool.

Now imagine you are a big boat moving through the ocean. Just like you in the pool, the boat creates waves as it moves. However, because the boat is so big and moving so fast, the waves it creates are much bigger and spread out even further.

When a boat moves through the ocean, it creates something called a Kelvin wake pattern. This is the pattern of waves that the boat creates as it moves through the water. The pattern is named after Lord Kelvin, a very famous scientist who studied the ocean and waves.

The Kelvin wake pattern has two parts: the first part is called the bow wave and the second part is called the stern wave. The bow wave is created by the front of the boat as it cuts through the water. This wave is shaped like a V and moves away from the boat.

The stern wave is created by the back of the boat as it pushes the water behind it. This wave is shaped like a long, narrow "V" and also moves away from the boat.

These waves can be very important for scientists and engineers who study boats and how they move through the water. Understanding the Kelvin wake pattern can help them design better boats that are faster and more efficient.