Fixed-end reflection of a triangular pulse
ID: fixed-end-reflection-of-a-triangular-pulse
For a mechanical string on with fixed endpoint , take an initially incident symmetric triangular pulse , where . The superposition principle gives the title formula. Both terms satisfy the wave equation away from the corners and satisfy it weakly everywhere; their values cancel at the endpoint. At their displacements cancel on the whole half-line, but the velocity is nonzero on . Hence a flat instantaneous shape need not mean zero wave energy.
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