Standing Waves

Reflection causes destructive and constructive interference of traveling waves, leading to standing waves.

Figure: Damped Vibration, animation courtesy of Dr. Dan Russell, Penn State University.

Standing wave: pattern of alternating nodes and antinodes.

Figure: Damped Vibration, animation courtesy of Dr. Dan Russell, Penn State University.

The fundamental mode of oscillation, is determined by the shortest node-antinode pattern.