Why does my wave equation appear to move backwards?

[pivoxa15]

I have a wave eqn that is of the standard form (y=sin(kx-wt)) and have a positive constant velocity. But when I graph it, it appears to be moving backwards with a greater t producing a lesser x for each specific y. How can this be?

The eqn is y=10sin(18.35x-6283t)

 

[Astronuc]

It could be a reflected wave.

The wave direction is either + or - with respect to the coordinate system. In one dimension, waves can move in one of two directions - forwards or backwards.

 

[pivoxa15]

How can it be a reflected wave when there is nothing to reflect it with? The time I subed in was tiny and it still showed a backward moving wave. So the wave is going backwards immediately after t=0.

 

[pivoxa15]

I know where I made my mistake. I didn't fully understand how the phase component worked. The wave turns our to be a forward traveling wave after all.