What happens to energy after destructive interference of two waves?

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Destructive interference of two or more waves does not result in a loss of energy; instead, the energy is conserved. Even at points of zero amplitude, such as during destructive interference, the waves still possess kinetic energy as they continue to move. The location of destructive interference remains dynamic, indicating that energy is redistributed rather than lost. A detailed exploration of this topic can be found in N. Gauthier's paper on the interaction of oppositely-moving wave pulses. Understanding these principles is crucial for grasping wave dynamics in physics.
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What happens with energy after two or more waves interfere destructively? Is there a loss of energy?

Thanks.
 
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Believe it or not, as the case for many seemingly-simple problem, the answer to this can be rather lengthy. For example, if you are talking about two oppositely-moving overlapping waves, then the energy conservation comes in because the location of destructive interference is still moving (i.e. it may have an instantaneous zero amplitude, but it still has a kinetic energy).

A very thorough discussion of this can be found in a paper written by N. Gauthier "What happens to energy and momentum when two oppositely-moving wave pulses overlap", Am. J. Phys. v.71, p.787 (2003).

Zz.
 
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