What is a Standing Wave?

What is a standing wave? How is it different than a traveling wave? And why and how does a standing wave form? Join Mr. H for some clear talk on the physics of standing waves. In 8 minutes of time, you'll understand this topic more than you ever thought you could.

The video lesson answers the following questions:

1. What is the difference between traveling waves and standing waves?
2. How and why is a standing wave formed?

Video

You can watch the video below, or click here to watch on YouTube (opens in a new tab).

To improve the effectiveness of the learning experience, The Physics Classroom has provided the following tools:

Additional and Related Learning Tools

Physics Interactives: Standing Wave Maker
Our interactive simulations allow you to playfully alter a variable and observe the result in the form of an animation. Ask a question and pursue the answer. This one challenges you to find "just the right frequency" to cause a rope to vibrate as a standing wave. Great tool! And follow it up with the Concept Checker (below).

Concept Checkers, Standing Waves
A Concept Checker provides a student with a quick assessment of understanding associated with a resource on our website. This one is intended to accompany the Standing Wave Maker simulation (above). Download the student activity sheet that goes with the simulation; work through the activity and then do the Concept Checker. It's a great way to further your learning.

Physics Classroom Tutorial, Vibrations and Waves Chapter, Lesson 4 - Traveling Waves vs. Standing Waves
When you need to quickly review, brush up, and revisit the ideas in the video, turn to the Physics Classroom Tutorial page that accompanies the video. This page contrasts traveling waves with standing waves and coordinates well with the first few slides of the video presentation.

Physics Classroom Tutorial, Vibrations and Waves Chapter, Lesson 4 - Formation of Standing Waves
Why and how do standing waves form? Review it here in our written Tutorial.

Teacher Resources

Curriculum Corner: Wave Motion
Try our Curriculum Corner for a Think Sheet or a whole unit of Think Sheets and get your students thinking about waves. You will find a Think Sheet here on the topic of standing waves. If the video is homework; then these are awesome next day starters. This is free curriculum for the taking. And for a few extra bucks, you can obtain the source documents and purchase a license to place them and any deriviative from them on your course management pages; see the Solutions Guide.

Physics Interactives: Standing Wave Maker
Our interactive simulations allow a student to playfully alter a variable and observe the result in the form of an animation. This one on standing waves challenges students to find "just the right frequency" to cause a rope to vibrate as a standing wave. Using our student activity sheet, they will record data and look for patterns in the data, leading to an equation that relates the frequency of a harmonic to the harmonic number and the frequency of the fundamental. Don't miss the classroom-ready student activity sheet and the accompanying Concept Checker. When put together - simulation, student activity sheet, and Concept Checker - you have the skeleton of a highly engaging lesson plan.

Physics Classroom Tutorial, Vibrations and Waves Chapter, Lesson 4 - Traveling Waves vs. Standing Waves
When students need to quickly review, brush up, and revisit the ideas in the video, point them towards the Physics Classroom Tutorial page that accompanies the video. This page contrasts traveling waves with standing waves and coordinates well with the first few slides of the video presentation.

Physics Classroom Tutorial, Vibrations and Waves Chapter, Lesson 4 - Formation of Standing Waves
Why and how do standing waves form? Send students to this page from our written Tutorial for help.

Lesson Notes

Download (opens in a new tab) or view below

Slides

Do you like the slides we used? They are available in our low cost Teacher Presentation Pack, along with other updated materials used in our presentation.