What occurs during destructive interference?

During destructive interference, waves overlap in such a way that their amplitudes subtract from one another. This typically occurs when two waves are out of phase, meaning that the crest of one wave aligns with the trough of another. As a result, the combined amplitude of the resultant wave is less than that of either of the individual waves, leading to a wave with smaller amplitude.

This phenomenon can be observed in various scenarios, such as when sound waves from different sources cancel each other out to reduce noise, or in light waves, where certain colors can be diminished when they meet. The reduction in overall amplitude signifies that the waves have interfered destructively, rather than reinforcing each other or remaining independent.