Wave Motion If Water Were a Discrete Quantity
Rising water would gain slowness, falling water speed—unlike a continuous body
A text-only argument on what wave motion would look like if water were a discrete rather than a continuous quantity. In that case the motion between the crests and troughs of the waves would be unequal: rising water would gain degrees of slowness until reaching greatest slowness at the crest, while descending water would gain degrees of velocity, reaching its greatest motion at the trough. The portion terminating the descent suffers detriment, while the portion terminating the rise takes no injury. The page breaks off as it turns to the case of continuous quantity.
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Slowness at the crest, greatest velocity at the trough
Were water a discrete quantity, a wave rising would acquire degrees of slowness at every degree of motion, reaching greatest slowness at the summit; descending, it would acquire degrees of velocity, reaching greatest motion at the lowest point. The end of the descent therefore takes the damage, while the end of the rise is unharmed. The note stops as Leonardo turns to the contrary case of a continuous quantity.