Standing waves - Definition and Overview

A standing wave, also known as a stationary wave, is a wave that remains in a constant position. This phenomenon can occur because the medium is moving in the opposite direction to the wave, or it can arise in a stationary medium as a result of interference between two waves travelling in opposite directions.

Moving medium

As an example of the first type, under certain meteorological conditions standing waves form in the atmosphere in the lee of mountain ranges. Such waves are often exploited by glider pilots.

Opposing waves

As an example of the second type, a standing wave in a transmission line is a wave in which the distribution of current, voltage, or field strength is formed by the superposition of two waves propagating in opposite directions. The effect is a series of nodes (minima) and anti-nodes (maxima) at fixed points along the transmission line. Such a standing wave may be formed when a wave is transmitted into one end of a transmission line and is reflected from the other end by an impedance mismatch, i.e., discontinuity, such as an open or a short.

In practice, losses in the transmission line and other components mean that a perfect reflection and a pure standing wave are never achieved. The result is a partial standing wave, which is a superposition of a standing wave and a travelling wave. The degree to which the wave resembles either a pure standing wave or a pure travelling wave is measured by the standing wave ratio (SWR).

See also

• List of wave topics : Wave, Amphidromic point, Standing wave ratio, Voltage standing wave ratio, Gliding, Trumpet, Modelocking, seiche
• List of electronics topics : Impedance, Federal Standard 1037C, Normal mode, Cavity resonator, Characteristic impedance, Cymatics
• People: Nikola Tesla