Some of the important characteristics of standing or stationary waves are as follows:
1. The disturbances are confined to a particular region between the starting point and the reflecting point to the wave.
2. There is no onward motion of the disturbance from one particle to the adjoining particle and so on beyond this particular region.
3. The total energy associated with a stationary waves is twice the energy of each of each of the incident and reflected waves. But, there is no flow or tranference of energy along the stationary waves.
4. There are certain points in the medium in a standing wave, which are permanently at rest. These are called nodes. The distance between two consecutive nodes is λ/2.
5. In a standing wave, the medium splits up into a number of segments. Each segment is vibrating up and down as a whole.
6. All the particles in one particular segment vibrate in the same phase. Particles in two consecutive segments differ in the phases by 180°.
7. Velocity of particles while crossing respective mean positions varies from maximum at antinodes to zero at nodes.
8. The amplitudes of vibration of particles varies from zero at nodes to maximum at antinodes.
9. Twice during each vibration, all the particles of the medium pass simultaneously through their mean position.
10. There wave length and time period of stationary waves are the same as for the component waves.
11. All the particles except those at nodes, execute simple harmonic motion about their mean position with the same time period.
12. There are certain other points in the medium in a standing wave, the amplitude of vibration of which is maximum. These are called antinodes. The distance between two consecutive antinodes is also λ/2. Antinodes lie in between successive nodes. The distance between a node and adjoining antinode is λ/4.
There are certain points in the bounded medium (in which stationary waves are formed) which are always in the position of rest. These points are called nodes. There are points in between the nodes whose displacement is maximum as compared to other points. These points are called antinodes.
