Destructive Interference

Destructive interference is demonstrated with single transverse pulses in a Slinky™.

Discussion

When wave pulses traveling in opposite directions on a Slinky™ pass each other, they interfere destructively (displacements subtracting) when their peaks are on opposite sides of the Slinky™.

By stepping carefully through this movie during the period when the two pulses are passing each other, you can show that the amplitude, or maximum displacement, of the combined wave pulse at the point of maximum overlap is equal to the difference of the amplitudes of the two single pulses.