Stationary waves

Front

What is a stationary wave?

Back

A stationary wave, or standing wave, is a wave that remains in a constant position and is formed by the interference of two waves traveling in opposite directions with the same frequency and amplitude.

Front

What type of wave is a longitudinal wave?

Back

A longitudinal wave is a wave in which the particle displacement is parallel to the direction of wave propagation, such as sound waves.

Front

What is a node in a stationary wave?

Back

A node is a point along a standing wave where the wave has minimum amplitude and does not move.

Front

What is an anti-node in a stationary wave?

Back

An anti-node is a point where the amplitude of the wave is at its maximum in a standing wave.

Front

What is the fundamental frequency?

Back

The fundamental frequency is the lowest frequency at which a system oscillates, and it corresponds to the first harmonic.

Front

What is a harmonic in wave theory?

Back

A harmonic is a component frequency of the signal that is an integer multiple of the fundamental frequency.

Front

How are standing waves created?

Back

Standing waves are created by the superposition of two identical waves traveling in opposite directions.

Front

What is the relationship between wavelength and frequency?

Back

The wavelength is inversely proportional to the frequency; as frequency increases, wavelength decreases, and vice versa.

Front

What is the speed of a wave?

Back

The speed of a wave is the distance traveled by a wave crest in a unit of time, calculated as speed = frequency × wavelength.

Front

What is the principle of superposition?

Back

The principle of superposition states that when two or more waves overlap, the resultant wave is the sum of the individual waves.