Spark image

Reflection – wave fronts

The diagram shows the reflection of a plane wave from a plane mirror. How the position of the reflected wave is formed is shown by the use of the wave theory.

The secondary wavelet reflected from A is shown.

The distance from A to B (vt) is the same as that from C to D and so the wave front reforms here in the same shape as the incident wavefront.

Since the reflected wave fronts and the reflected wave fronts move in the same medium the speed of the waves before and after reflection are the same.

 

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© Keith Gibbs