If they are in phase opposition, then the amplitudes subtract, and you are left with a wave having a smaller amplitude but the same phase as the larger of the two. You can draw this out on graph paper quite easily.Zahidur said:Would there be destructive interference if I had two waves that are superimposed and the peak of one wave met the trough of the other but they both have different amplitudes? If there isn't total destructive interference, then what does the final wave look like?
The result of adding two waves with different amplitudes is a new wave with an amplitude that is the sum of the two original amplitudes.
To add two waves with different amplitudes, you need to plot both waves on a graph and then add the corresponding points on the y-axis to get the new wave's amplitude at each point.
If the amplitudes of the two waves are equal, the resulting wave will have an amplitude that is twice the original amplitude.
Yes, waves with different amplitudes can interfere with each other, resulting in a wave with a varying amplitude at different points on the graph.
The wavelengths do not directly affect the addition of waves with different amplitudes. However, if the two waves have different wavelengths, the resulting wave may have a more complex pattern due to the interference of the two waves.