When a guitar string is plucked, two wave pulses of the same amplitude, frequency and phase move out from that point towards the fixed ends of the string where they get reflected. For certain ratios of wavelength to length of the string, these reflected pulses moving towards each other will meet in phase to form standing waves on the string. The vibrations of the string cause the air molecules to oscillate, forming sound waves that radiate away from the string. The frequency of the sound waves is equal to the frequency of the vibrating string. In general, the wavelengths of the sound waves and the waves on the string are different because their speeds in the two mediums are not the same.