A14QJ wrote, quoting Roy:
"Just what is a "wave", anyway?"

Wikipedia says:
"Waves travel and transport energy from one point to another, often with
no permanent displacement (mass transport) of particles in the medium;
instead there are oscillations around almost fixed positions. A
traveling wave varies with both time and distance. Phase
velocity=Lambda(f).
A standing wave remains in a constant position and only may be the
result of interference between two waves traveling in opposite
directions

When two opposed waves cancel, there is no net propagation of energy."

The "Hutchin Encyclopedia" says:
"Nodes (positions of zero vibration) and antinodes (Positions of maximum
vibration) do not move.

Water and EM waves can form standing waves in the same way."

A14QJ also wrote:
"The standing wave is the mathematical sum of forward and reflected
waves. This sum is a superposition wave. The components of the
superposition wave no lonnger exist by themselves;----"

The components are not cancelled. Were that so, the Bird Thruline
Wattmeter could not function and the standing wave would be independent
of the forward and reflected waves. Instead, it is only a manifestation
of interference.

Best regards, Richard Harrison, KB5WZI