Explain how a stationary wave is produced when a string fixed at both ends is plucked

When the string is plucked, waves will travel from the point where it was plucked to the fixed ends, which cannot move and so must be nodes. The waves will reflect, and the superposition of the reflected and original waves will cause some positions to always have zero displacement (nodes) and some positions to oscillate at maximum amplitude (antinodes).

JT
Answered by James T. Physics tutor

16200 Views

See similar Physics A Level tutors

Related Physics A Level answers

All answers ▸

Why do all objects fall at the same rate in a vacuum, independent of mass?


A block of mass m is released from rest on a surface inclined at 30⁰ to the horizontal with a coefficient of friction of 0.3. How long does it take for the block to slide 1 m?


A sample of pure gold has a density of 19300 kgm^-3. If the density of a gold nucleus is 1.47x10^17Kgm^-3, discuss what this implies about the structure of the gold atom. [4 marks]


How does a capacitor work and how do I treat it in a circuit?


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2026 by IXL Learning