Apps by Detlef Hoche

Simulation: Wavemachine on Mac, IPad or IPhone
The simulation of waves on a real wave machine is fast, couldn't be stopped and is very complex. A computer simulation is a good choice to understand, what happens if a wave is relected at a free or fixed end of a string.

By means of this app, you can simulate everything that can be studied with a one-dimensional wave machine:
  • Introduce a disturbance into a string and let your disturbance be reflected at a fixed or free end.
  • Put oscillators at the left and/ or right end of the string to examine e.g the creation of standing waves.
  • In order to better understand the superposition of waves, study your waves travelling from left to right and vice versa separately.
  • Use arrows to illustrate a superposition.
  • Change the settings of your wave and study its reflection in slow motion.

  • The blue wave comes from the left side. It is reflected on a fixed end with a change of phase and comes back as the green wave. The superposition of both waves is the red wave. The sum on the right side is 0, because of the change of phase. A little bit to the left the swing of the blue wave is a little bit greater as the swing of the green wave, because the blue wave hasn't reached its maximum. The arrows on the bottom don't have the sum 0, but a little swing up.
    That's one of diverse examples, which can be simulated with this app.
    German - English

    Get the app from Apple App-Store.