How does destructive interference affect the amplitude of a wave?

1 Answer
Daniel W.
Jun 16, 2014

The amplitude is reduced to zero.

Destructive interference means that two identical waves (same amplitude and wavelength) arrive in anti phase. In that case wherever wave 1 is at a peak wave 2 will be at a trough and vice versa. The displacement of a trough is equal in magnitude to that of a peak but it is negative, so the sum of the displacements will be zero.

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