phase shifts

A phase shift refers to a change in the position of a wave relative to a reference point. Imagine two waves with the same frequency; if one wave starts "earlier" or "later" than the other, it is said to be phase-shifted. This shift can affect how waves interact—they might reinforce each other (constructive interference) or cancel out (destructive interference). In fields like physics and engineering, phase shifts help describe how signals or vibrations relate to each other over time, impacting everything from sound quality to radio transmissions.