Compare travelling and stationary waves.

Travelling waves

Stationary waves

1. Each particle of media transfers disturbance to next particle

2. Amplitude of vibration of each particle is constant.

3. Every particle passing through mean position has same velocity.

4. There is a gradual phase difference between successive particles.

5. None particle is permanently at rest.

6. There is a flow of energy along the length of propagation of wave.

1. Disturbance is not
communicated from
one particle to another.

2. Amplitude of vibration
of different particle is different.
The amplitude of
vibration increases 
gradually from zero to maximum from node
to antinode and then decrease
gradually to from antinode to node in a loop.

3. Every particle in a loop passing through mean position has different 
velocity. The particle
at antinode has maximum velocity at mean position.

4. All the particles between two consecutive nodes vibrate in same phase.

5. The particles at nodes are permanently at rest.

6. There is no flow of energy along the length of propagation of wave