Wave Interference and Standing Waves

Flashcards covering basic wave displacement, standing waves, nodes, and types of interference.

What is a standing wave?

A standing wave is the result of two wave trains of the same wavelength, frequency, and amplitude traveling in opposite directions through the same medium.

How does the interference pattern in standing waves differ from general interference?

The interference pattern in standing waves remains relatively stationary, unlike general interference.

What is a node in the context of standing waves?

A node is a point that remains at rest throughout the interference in a standing wave.

What condition leads to a nodal point where displacement is zero at all times?

When equal amplitude and length pulses travel in opposite directions.

What happens at a node at each moment in time regarding upward and downward displacement?

At a node, the upward displacement is cancelled by the downward displacement at each moment.

When two identical waves moving in opposite directions are directly on top of each other, what type of interference occurs at every point in the medium?

Destructive interference occurs, resulting in a flat horizontal line (zero resultant displacement).

What type of interference occurs when waves have moved in such a way that troughs are over other troughs and crests are over crests?

Constructive interference occurs, and the magnitude of the resultant displacement is twice that of the individual waves.