A standing wave is set up on a string so that it has 5 nodes. If you start at the central node and move exactly one wavelength in either direction, you will wind up at
A) a node.
B) an antinode.
C) neither a node nor an antinode but still on the string.
D) somewhere off the string.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

If the string has 5 nodes, then it must have 6 antinodes. One wavelength corresponds to one antinode to the next antinode. Therefore, moving one wavelength in either direction from the central node will land at an antinode. However, since the question specifies that the destination is exactly one wavelength away, it means that the destination is actually one antinode away from the central node, which is a node. Therefore, the correct answer is A) a node.

A Standing Wave Is Set Up on a String So