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bumclouds
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Homework Statement
E=Emax.sin(ωt-kx) describes the electric field of a monochromatic plane wave traveling in the x-direction. Verify that a plane which is perpendicular to the x-diretion and moves along the x-axis at the same speed as the wave is a wave front.
Homework Equations
E=Emax.sin(ωt-kx)
The Attempt at a Solution
A "wave front" is a surface where the phase is always the same.
-----|-------------------|----------> x-axis
___x1,t1______________x2,t2______
At x1, t2 and x2, t2 must have the same phase which is in the brackets of sin() in "relevant equations".
so...
ωt1-kx1 = ωt1-kx2
and I'm guessing since the speed is the same at both points x1/t1 is equal to x2/t2 and we substitute those in or something?? I don't know I've thought about this a lot and I'm very stuck!