Science Common Sense
1674 - What happens when two waves with the same amplitude, wavelength, and period move towards each other?
When two waves with the same amplitude, wavelength, and period move towards each other, they will bounce off each other or combine. This is called "superposition."
There are two things that can happen:
- If the peaks of the two waves meet, they will make an even bigger peak, called "constructive interference." The resulting wave will be bigger and stronger.
- If the peak of one wave meets the trough (the low point) of the other wave, they will cancel each other out, called "destructive interference." This will create a flat line, and there will be no wave where they meet.
This is what happens when the two waves meet. Then they will continue moving in their original directions, as if they never met.