állófázisok

Standing waves, also known as stationary waves or fixed waves (állófázisok in Hungarian), are wave patterns that result from the superposition of two or more identical waves traveling in opposite directions. Unlike traveling waves, which propagate through a medium, standing waves appear to be stationary, with fixed points of zero displacement called nodes and points of maximum displacement called antinodes. The distance between two consecutive nodes or antinodes is half a wavelength.

Standing waves are typically formed when a wave is reflected from a boundary. The reflected wave interferes with the incident wave, and if the frequencies and amplitudes are the same, and the waves are traveling in opposite directions, a standing wave can be established. This phenomenon is crucial in various physical systems, such as musical instruments, where the air column inside a wind instrument or the string of a string instrument vibrates in standing waves to produce specific pitches. In optics, standing waves can occur when light reflects back and forth between mirrors. The resonant frequencies at which standing waves can form are determined by the physical constraints of the system, such as the length of a string or the volume of an air column. The energy in a standing wave is localized between the nodes.