Destructive Intereference Question

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SUMMARY

Destructive interference occurs when two waves that are out of phase cancel each other out, resulting in an amplitude of zero at the point of interference. However, this does not mean that the waves are eliminated; they continue to propagate through the interference region. The interaction between the waves can be recorded at various distances, demonstrating that they maintain their individual characteristics despite the interference. If one wave is altered, such as by shifting it with a reflective film, the destructive interference can be disrupted, allowing the waves to interact constructively instead.

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Quantom
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When there is destructive interference I know that two waves that are out of phase cancel out, but what really goes on? What i mean is when there is destructive interference are the two waves that are interfereing constantly interfereing or are they both completely eliminated at the initial point of interference and no waves propagate thereafter?
 
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It's at that point the amplitude of the incoming waves continually sum to 0. However, just when two wave interact on a string (see this video ) the wave continue propagate through the interference and afterwards.

That is why you can record the interference at a variety of distances (as long as you are far enough away for your approximations to hold): the waves continually interact destructively and constructively, but the individual waves are unchanged by this process.

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theUndergrad

http://www.theUndergraduateJournal.com/
 
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So if two waves that are destructing and are propagating continually and then somehow one of the two waves is shifted using a reflective film, the waves then should no longer destruct, correct?
 

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