Direction of secondary wavefronts from the point sources

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the behavior of secondary wavefronts originating from point sources in wave theory. It is established that while one can theoretically consider the direction of secondary wavefronts as moving backwards to the original wave direction, this approach requires analysis at every spatial point. Typically, these contributions cancel each other out, leading to a consensus that this method is not practical for most scenarios.

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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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