How can JSON be used to improve the communication between PHP and JavaScript in a web application?

JSON can be used to improve communication between PHP and JavaScript in a web application by providing a standardized format for data exchange. By encoding data in JSON format in PHP and decoding it in JavaScript, developers can easily pass complex data structures between the two languages. This simplifies the process of sending data back and forth, making the communication more efficient and reliable.

```php
// PHP code to encode data in JSON format
$data = array('name' => 'John', 'age' => 30, 'city' => 'New York');
$json_data = json_encode($data);
echo "<script> var jsonData = $json_data; </script>";
```

In this code snippet, we first create an associative array in PHP with some sample data. We then use the `json_encode()` function to convert this array into a JSON string. Finally, we embed this JSON string into a JavaScript variable using PHP echo, making it accessible to JavaScript on the client-side.