Transverse Standing Waves
Transverse Standing Waves
A standing wave is produced by the superposition of waves moving to the left and right, reflecting back and forth between two fixed points. Interference effects produce both nodes, where the two waves cancel by destructive interference, and antinodes, where the waves reinforce by constructive interference. The possible wavelengths for standing waves on a string, rope, or wire of length , attached at both ends, require that be an integer multiple of the half-wavelength. Click the "time" play/pause button to start or stop the animation; adjust the number of half-wavelengths on the string with the "harmonic n" slider; select the options to display: standing wave, wave moving right, wave moving left, wave envelope (maximum displacement of standing wave), shading, or velocity arrows for different parts of the string. In transverse waves, the actual motion is perpendicular to the direction of wave propagation.
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