Wave on a String

Explore transverse waves, reflection, and standing waves

Transverse waves on a string propagate with speed v = √(T/μ), where T is tension and μ is linear mass density. When the wave reflects from a fixed end, the incident and reflected waves superpose. At specific frequencies, standing waves form with permanent nodes (zero amplitude) and antinodes (maximum amplitude). The allowed frequencies are harmonics: f_n = nv/(2L) for a fixed string of length L.