Can gravitational waves cancel out?

AI Thread Summary
Gravitational waves can be analyzed similarly to light or water waves, particularly regarding their interactions. When two gravitational waves intersect at their maximum amplitude, they would produce cumulative effects, leading to increased distortion of objects. Conversely, if a wave crest meets a trough, the effects could cancel out, resulting in no net distortion. This behavior highlights the wave-like nature of gravitational waves, which alternately compress and stretch objects. Understanding these interactions is crucial for grasping the implications of gravitational wave phenomena.
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Can gravitational waves be treated like light or water waves? E.g. what would happen if two waves intersected at their max amplitude? Or what would happen if they intersected at a peak and trough?
 
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I can't see why it wouldn't be possible.

This is essentially what gravitational waves do to an object:
http://www.lightandmatter.com/html_books/genrel/ch09/figs/gravitational-wave.png
They alternately squash it and squeeze it.

So, two overlapping crests would cause cumulative squishing, while a crest and trough would result in momentarily zero squishing.
 
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