When two or more waves overlap, what phenomenon is observed?

When two or more waves overlap, the phenomenon that is observed is indeed the superposition of waves. This principle states that when waves meet, they combine to form a new wave which is the result of the individual waves' amplitudes. The resulting wave can have varying characteristics depending on the phase relationship between the overlapping waves.

Superimposed waves can exhibit different behaviors, such as constructive interference, where the waves add together to create a wave of greater amplitude, or destructive interference, where they combine to produce a wave of reduced amplitude. Thus, the concept of superposition encompasses both constructive and destructive interference. It highlights the fundamental nature of waves, where they can combine and influence each other while traveling through the same medium.

In contrast, stationary waves refer to a specific condition that arises from the interference of two waves traveling in opposite directions, resulting in points of no movement (nodes) and points of maximum movement (antinodes), but this is a more specific situation within the broader concept of wave superposition.