What phenomenon occurs when two waves are out of phase and cancel each other out?

When two waves are out of phase, they are aligned such that the crest of one wave coincides with the trough of another. This alignment causes the waves to effectively cancel each other out, resulting in reduced or nullified amplitude. This process is known as destructive interference. It highlights the behavior of waves as they interact with one another, showing how they can reinforce or diminish each other under different circumstances.

In contrast, constructive interference occurs when waves are in phase and their amplitudes combine, leading to a greater overall amplitude. The other terms, reflective interference and refractive interference, pertain to different processes involving wave properties, such as bouncing back from surfaces or bending through mediums, and do not directly describe the cancellation of wave effects. Understanding these concepts is crucial for grasping the behavior of light and sound waves in optical physics and acoustics.