PhysSandbox

Standing Waves

This interactive simulator explores Standing Waves in Waves & Sound. Find harmonics on a string. Nodes and antinodes highlighted. Use the controls to change the scenario; watch the visualization and any graphs or readouts to connect the model with lectures, labs, and homework.

Who it's for: Best once you already know the basic definitions and want to build intuition. Typical context: Waves & Sound.

Key terms

  • standing
  • waves
  • standing waves
  • sound

How it works

Ideal standing wave on a string fixed at both ends: only harmonics with wavelengths λₙ = 2L/n fit. Nodes stay still; antinodes oscillate with maximal amplitude. Changing n changes the number of loops.

Key equations

y = A sin(nπx/L) cos(ωₙt),   ωₙ = nπc/L
Nodes: x = mL/n (m = 0,…,n). Antinodes: x = (m+½)L/n (m = 0,…,n−1).

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