Constructive interference occurs when two waves combine to produce a wave of greater amplitude. Which term names this phenomenon?

Constructive interference occurs when two waves combine to produce a wave of greater amplitude. Which term names this phenomenon?

• A. Destructive interference
• B. Diffraction
• C. Coherent sources
• D. Constructive interference

Answer: (D)

When waves meet and their amplitudes add up, the outcome depends on their relative timing, or phase. If the crests align with crests and troughs align with troughs, the peak amplitudes reinforce each other, giving a larger overall wave than either one alone. This reinforcing of the wave is what we call constructive interference. It relies on the waves having a stable phase relationship (coherence) so that the peaks and troughs line up consistently. Destructive interference is the opposite situation, where peaks meet troughs and partially or completely cancel each other out, reducing the resulting amplitude. Diffraction describes the bending and spreading of waves around obstacles or through openings, not the naming of the interference outcome. Coherent sources describe the condition that allows stable interference patterns to form, but the phenomenon itself is the constructive interference described above.

When waves meet and their amplitudes add up, the outcome depends on their relative timing, or phase. If the crests align with crests and troughs align with troughs, the peak amplitudes reinforce each other, giving a larger overall wave than either one alone. This reinforcing of the wave is what we call constructive interference. It relies on the waves having a stable phase relationship (coherence) so that the peaks and troughs line up consistently.

Destructive interference is the opposite situation, where peaks meet troughs and partially or completely cancel each other out, reducing the resulting amplitude. Diffraction describes the bending and spreading of waves around obstacles or through openings, not the naming of the interference outcome. Coherent sources describe the condition that allows stable interference patterns to form, but the phenomenon itself is the constructive interference described above.