The difference of two wave phases at the same place and time, considered modulo . It determines whether two same-frequency oscillations reinforce, cancel, or are in phase quadrature.
Two sinusoidal signals are in phase quadrature when their phase difference is a quarter cycle, for example and . Their time averages have zero correlation over a cycle. In a plane wave, this separates fields such as displacement and its time derivative, velocity.
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In the context of waves, "phase" refers to the specific point in the cycle of a wave at a given time. It indicates the position of the wave in its oscillation relative to its starting point, typically measured in degrees or radians. Since a complete wave cycle corresponds to 360 degrees (or \(2\pi\) radians), the phase can tell you how far along the wave is.