Standing Wave Nodes and Interference on a Stretched String

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the formation of standing waves on a 20m stretched string due to two sinusoidal waves, each with a wavelength of 5m and amplitude of 10cm, traveling in opposite directions. The key conclusion is that excluding the nodes at the ends, there are three nodes in the resulting standing wave. The interaction of the two waves is crucial for understanding the reinforcement and cancellation at various points along the string.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of wave properties, specifically wavelength and amplitude
  • Knowledge of standing wave formation and node characteristics
  • Familiarity with sinusoidal wave equations
  • Basic principles of wave interference
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  • Study the principles of wave interference in detail
  • Learn about the mathematical representation of standing waves
  • Explore the concept of nodes and antinodes in wave mechanics
  • Investigate real-world applications of standing waves in musical instruments
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Homework Statement


Two sinusodial waves, each of wavelength 5m and amplitude 10cm, travel in opposite directions on a 20m streched string which is clamped at each end. Excluding the nodes at the ends , how many nodes appear in the resulting standing wave?

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The Attempt at a Solution


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So I just drew a picture, 20m long string, and drew a wave through it with each wavelength being 5m. I basically disregarded that there were two separate waves. I still got the right answer. Is the fact that they collide irrelevant? Why?
 
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RUphysics3 said:
So I just drew a picture, 20m long string, and drew a wave through it with each wavelength being 5m. I basically disregarded that there were two separate waves. I still got the right answer. Is the fact that they collide irrelevant? Why?
It is only irrelevant once proved to be so.
Consider an instant at which the two waves reinforce to the maximum extent at some point. Drawa picture of this. Draw the two individual waves on the same picture. Do they reinforce everywhere at that time? Compare the nodes of the three waves.
 

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