Past exam of the mathematical methods II course of the University of Oxford / 2021 / 7 / iv / b / Solution

At $\tau =1/2$, the two triangular pulses coincide with opposite signs:The instantaneous sketch is the straight equilibrium line. This is destructive interference, not the disappearance of the wave energy. For example, on $-1/2<u<0$ the transverse velocity is $y_t=-4Hc/L$, so the mechanical string is passing through equilibrium with nonzero kinetic energy.