Standing Waves
Introduction
A standing wave is the periodic disturbance in a medium resulting from the combination of two waves of equal frequency and amplitude travelling in opposite directions.
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Formation of Standing WavesThere is a Waves terms and symbols Quiz on Quizlet which is downloadable
Walter Fendt has a great animation of the formation of a standing wave |
Useful Resources |
You will need to know all the harmonics in this table and the relationship between L (the length of the pipe or string) and wavelength.
Remember that the diagrams for the pipes show a graph of particle displacement and not the actual wave itself as the sound wave is longitudinal, not transverse.
A good video introducing standing waves
This video shows in slo mo how different instruments produce standing waves
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Teaching Videos
Learn Coach Kahn Academy New Zealand Websites No brain too small The Physics Lounge Studyit NCEA Physics Pages Good Overseas Websites Hyperphysics The Physics Classroom ipodphysics Animations and Simulations PhET Walter Fendt |
A bit of crazy fun with standing waves in beer bottles
An interesting perspective of standing waves from inside a guitar (be wary of the explanation, things are not what they seem).
This video shows a group of crazies making waves on a bridge
A fascinating video that has a good short explanation of standing waves in stringed instruments and why tuning a piano is difficult
Beats
The Hyperphysics website has a good explanation of beats.
To hear and see the effects of beats view this useful YouTube video
To hear and see the effects of beats view this useful YouTube video
Timbre
Although this short video is really an advertisement the first minute or so is quite a good description of timbre
For a more in-depth look at timbre try these videos
Where Music Meets Science
Why Instruments Playing the Same Note Sound Different
Real Instruments and the Sound We Hear
Where Music Meets Science
Why Instruments Playing the Same Note Sound Different
Real Instruments and the Sound We Hear
Resonance
This is a great video of reasonance in a wine glass
This is an interesting application of resonance in an everyday object
Other useful videos
How Microwaves Work
Why Physics is Awesome: The Power of Resonance
Resonance destroys a helicopter
How Microwaves Work
Why Physics is Awesome: The Power of Resonance
Resonance destroys a helicopter
Other Standing Wave Videos
This Physics Girl video shows some interesting and complex standing waves.