Beats occur when two waves with slightly different frequencies interfere, regardless of their amplitudes. The amplitude of the resulting beat wave is the sum of the individual wave amplitudes, meaning a wave with a maximum value of 2 combined with one of 1 will peak at 3. The minimum amplitude of the combined wave will always be zero, as the waves cancel each other out at certain points. Thus, while amplitude influences the overall strength of the beats, it is not essential for their formation. Understanding this principle is crucial for analyzing wave interactions in various applications.