wave train

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wave train

physics

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July 15, 2026

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In physics, a wave train is a succession of similar waves at equal intervals. When two or more wave trains overlap, they interact through a phenomenon called interference.1

If waves have the same frequency and phase, they reinforce each other, resulting in constructive interference. Conversely, if waves are out of phase, they can cancel each other out, leading to destructive interference. This principle is observable in water waves and light waves, where overlapping wave trains create patterns of reinforcement and cancellation. Interference can also occur between waves of different frequencies, producing complex wave patterns and phenomena like beats.2

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interference
…combination of two or more wave trains moving on intersecting or coincident paths. The effect is that of the addition of the amplitudes of the individual waves at each point affected by more than one wave.
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…combination of two or more wave trains moving on intersecting or coincident paths. The effect is that of the addition of the amplitudes of the individual waves at each point affected by more than one wave.
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light
Unpolarized light
…modeled as a short “wave train” lasting from about 10⁻⁹ to 10⁻⁸ second. The electromagnetic wave emanating from the filament is a superposition of these wave trains, each having its own polarization direction. The sum of the randomly oriented wave trains results in a wave whose direction of polarization…
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…modeled as a short “wave train” lasting from about 10⁻⁹ to 10⁻⁸ second. The electromagnetic wave emanating from the filament is a superposition of these wave trains, each having its own polarization direction. The sum of the randomly oriented wave trains results in a wave whose direction of polarization…
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standing wave
…shown in the figure; the wave train (line B), after arriving at the fixed end of the rope, will be reflected back and superimposed on itself as another train of waves (line C) in the same plane. Because of interference between the two waves, the resultant amplitude (R) of the…
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…shown in the figure; the wave train (line B), after arriving at the fixed end of the rope, will be reflected back and superimposed on itself as another train of waves (line C) in the same plane. Because of interference between the two waves, the resultant amplitude (R) of the…
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climate
Characteristics
…west-to-east flow make up a wave train (a succession of waves occurring at periodic intervals). The waves are called Rossby waves after Swedish American meteorologist C.G. Rossby, who first explained fundamental aspects of their behaviour in the 1930s. Waves whose wavelengths are about 6,000 km (3,700 miles) or less are…
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…west-to-east flow make up a wave train (a succession of waves occurring at periodic intervals). The waves are called Rossby waves after Swedish American meteorologist C.G. Rossby, who first explained fundamental aspects of their behaviour in the 1930s. Waves whose wavelengths are about 6,000 km (3,700 miles) or less are…
Read More