Electrical & Computer
Fourier Lab
Any periodic signal is a sum of sinusoids — Fourier's big idea, made tangible. Pick a waveform and add harmonics one at a time; the green partial sum climbs toward the ideal shape. The smooth triangle locks on fast (its coefficients fall off as 1/k²), while the jumpy square crawls — and never fully settles: the Gibbs overshoot near each edge stubbornly stays around 9% no matter how many terms you add. Flip on the component sinusoids to see exactly what's being summed.
5 harmonics · the green partial sum approaches the dashed target — note the Gibbs overshoot that never quite goes away at the jumps.
Waveform
Any periodic signal is a sum of sine waves. Add harmonics and the partial sum sharpens toward the target — fast for the smooth triangle (1/k²), slowly for the jumpy square, where the Gibbs overshoot stubbornly stays near 9%.
How to use this simulation
Any periodic signal is a sum of sinusoids — Fourier's big idea, made tangible. Pick a waveform and add harmonics one at a time; the green partial sum climbs toward the ideal shape. The smooth triangle locks on fast (its coefficients fall off as 1/k²), while the jumpy square crawls — and never fully settles: the Gibbs overshoot near each edge stubbornly stays around 9% no matter how many terms you add. Flip on the component sinusoids to see exactly what's being summed.
Everything runs in your browser — no sign-up, no download. Change a value and the result updates instantly, so you can build a feel for how each input shapes the outcome. It pairs with Crameleon's practice exams and step sheets when you want to go from intuition to working the problems.