When most people think of waves, they imagine something like an ocean wave… it moves through the water and isn’t confined to one area. Some waves don’t travel at all – they are called standing waves.


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One common misconception is the idea that noes and antinodes are the same as the crest and trough of a wave. They’re not. A node is a place on the wave that is permanently at rest. An antinode is where the wave is at its maximum (it will travel through a large up and a large down displacement).
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Standing waves are basically two waves traveling in opposite directions that constructively interfere with each other so it looks like the whole system is moving in simple harmonic motion.
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Standing wave machines are fun to make because they are easy to build and amazing to watch! Here’s a simple one you can make on your own using the materials from the previous lessons in electricity.


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It’s easy to calculate the frequency, period, wavelength and speed of waves at different harmonics.
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