standing wave

American  

noun

Physics.

1. a wave in a medium in which each point on the axis of the wave has an associated constant amplitude ranging from zero at the nodes to a maximum at the antinodes.

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standing wave British  

noun

1. Also called: stationary wave.  physics the periodic disturbance in a medium resulting from the combination of two waves of equal frequency and intensity travelling in opposite directions. There are generally two kinds of displacement, and the maximum value of the amplitude of one of these occurs at the same points as the minimum value of the amplitude of the other. Thus in the case of electromagnetic radiation the amplitude of the oscillations of the electric field has its greatest value at the points at which the magnetic oscillation is zero, and vice versa Compare node antinode

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standing wave Scientific  

/ stăn′dĭng /

1. A wave that oscillates in place, without transmitting energy along its extent. Standing waves tend to have stable points, called nodes, where there is no oscillation. Examples of standing waves include the vibration of a violin string and electron orbitals in an atom.

2. Also called stationary wave

3. See also harmonic oscillator

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Etymology

Origin of standing wave

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

In optics, a similar process occurs when two mirrors trap light between them, creating a standing wave inside what scientists call a cavity.

From Science Daily • Oct. 21, 2025

"The collision creates a standing wave that does not move. In the case of geometrically frustrated lattice materials, it's the electronic wave functions that destructively interfere."

From Science Daily • Jan. 29, 2024

There is a standing wave of vulnerability and salvation that churns beneath the surface of Los Angeles, the great bipolar metropolis of the American West.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 22, 2023

That’s when Slidewaters Waterpark debuted Lakeside Surf, the world’s most powerful artificial standing wave.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 28, 2023

The two most common — strings and hollow tubes — will be discussed below, but first let's finish discussing what makes a good standing wave container, and how this affects music theory.

From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones