Direction of secondary wavefronts from the point sources

AI Thread Summary
The discussion revolves around the behavior of secondary wavefronts originating from point sources. It questions why these wavefronts are not considered to propagate backward in the direction of the original wave. The response clarifies that while one could theoretically analyze wavefronts in that manner, doing so for every point in space leads to cancellations of contributions. The complexity of the setup affects the overall understanding of wave propagation. Ultimately, the direction of secondary wavefronts is typically analyzed based on their forward propagation rather than backward.
shivam01anand
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Homework Statement



My question is simple.

Homework Equations



Why do we not take the direction of secondary wavefronts from the point sources to be going backwards to the original direction of the wave as a whole?

The Attempt at a Solution



Thanks to you! :D
 
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You can do that, but then you have to do it at every point in space, and as a result those contributions usually* cancel each other.

*you did not give the setup, so it is hard to tell
 

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