Physical intuition as to why nodes of a standing sound wave have the least displacement?

Question

I am trying to understand physically why the air molecules at the nodes of a standing sound wave move around the least.
Is it because they act like springs? So the molecules at the nodes get compressed, by the molecules next to them. And the second they get the chance to start decompressing (and bounce off each other) they're being compressed again. Does that mean the molecules at the nodes are acting as constantly wound up springs?
I used this resource to help conceptualize.

trula · Answer

There are nodes of pressure, and nodes of velocity or movement. They are 1/2 wavelength apart. The molecules do not move in the node of movement and move most in the node of pressure. But this is clearly to see in the animation your source shows. So maybe you look a little more on what node you concentrate

Answered by trula on November 28, 2021

Physical intuition as to why nodes of a standing sound wave have the least displacement?

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