Oscillations and Waves - Interference

Question 1

interference

Answer 1

• When two waves meet at the same point, they do not bounce off each other like solid objects do. Instead, they pass through each other and keep on moving in their original directions. When they pass through each other, they overlap and temporarily add to give a combined wave.
• when waves overlap, their amplitudes add together to create a combined wave
• the waves then separate out and continue moving as before

Question 2

reflection

Answer 2

• when a wave reaches a boundary with another medium, some or all of it bounces back

Question 3

destructive interference

Answer 3

• when waves are on opposite sides, they partially cancel to give a smaller wave