Practice question · Multiple choice
A standing wave has nodes that never move and antinodes that swing hardest. Why does a travelling wave have neither?
Hints
- Ask what a standing wave is made of.
- What has to be true for a point to be permanently still?
Show the answer
B. Because a standing wave is two waves travelling opposite ways
Why
Permanent stillness requires permanent cancellation, and that requires two waves. The reflected wave supplies the partner, which is why standing waves form on bounded strings and in pipes.
Practise Superposition, Interference, and Standing Waves
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