When waves combine out of phase, what is the result?

When waves combine out of phase, they effectively negate each other, resulting in cancellation. This phenomenon occurs when the peaks of one wave align with the troughs of another wave, which leads to destructive interference. The amplitude of the resulting wave is reduced or may even result in a complete cancellation, depending on the relative amplitudes of the original waves.

In many applications, such as acoustic and electromagnetic wave studies, understanding when waves will cancel each other is crucial. This principle is important for applications like noise-canceling headphones, where opposing sound waves are used to reduce unwanted noise. Thus, the scenario is consistent with the observed behaviors of waves experiencing such interference. The other options don't directly pertain to this principle of wave behavior.