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OCR A - Standing/Stationary and Progressive Waves

hot angel 02

Could someone explain the similarities and differences between progressive and stationary waves please.

Reply 1

JBKProductions

hot angel 02

Could someone explain the similarities and differences between progressive and stationary waves please.

As far as i know standing waves are progressive waves. As standing waves are formed when progressive waves are reflected at a boundary, causing the wave rebounded to add up with the progressive wave. So the two waves must be of the same wavelength and travelling in the opposite direction.

Reply 2

hot angel 02

Hmm.. ye that's what i thought but i was just looking at the spec and it says "(b) describe the similarities and differences between progressive and stationary waves"
Thanks for your help anyway :wink:

Reply 3

Zezzy

A progressive wave is one where the waveform travels, as opposed to a standing wave (or stationary wave) where the waveform is fixed in place. Most familiar waves are usually progressive: light, sound, and water transmit energy along their direction of travel, though it is possible to set up standing waves for each of these. A plucked string fixed at both ends vibrates in a standing wave though the musical sound it generates is a progressive wave.
Progressive waves, despite the name, can travel backwards as well as forwards. A standing wave is equivalent to two equal and opposite progressive waves.

It can be either a transverse wave or a longitudinal wave, depending on which direction the vibrations go compared to the direction of travel of the wavefront. The wavefront represents the pattern that is moving along. Each point along the path alternately becomes crest and trough of the wave, and each point has the same amplitude, that is it reaches the maximum extent of anywhere in the wave when it's at the crest. Contrast this with a standing wave, where some points (antinodes) are permanently at the largest displacement or intensity and some (nodes) are permanently at zero.