Final answer:
A standing wave is formed by the superposition of two waves moving in opposite directions. The resulting wave appears to be a sine wave with nodes at integer multiples of half wavelengths and antinodes at odd multiples of quarter wavelengths.
Step-by-step explanation:
A standing wave is formed by the superposition of two waves moving in opposite directions. When two identical sinusoidal waves, represented by y1(x, t) = A sin(kx - wt) and y2(x, t) = A sin(kx + wt), move in opposite directions, they create a standing wave.
The amplitude (A), period (T), and wavelength (λ) remain the same for both waves. The resulting wave appears to be a sine wave with nodes at integer multiples of half wavelengths and antinodes at odd multiples of quarter wavelengths. The nodes are points of no motion in standing waves.