What is a wavefront and why study it?

[Mubeen A]

what is a wavefront? and what's the importance of studying it?

 

[rl.bhat]

The concept of wavefront is used to describe wave propagation.
It is defined as the locus of all adjacent points at which the phase of vibration of a physical quantity associated with the wave is the same. That is, at any point, all points on a wave front are at the same part of the cycle of their variation.
shape of wave front depends on the nature of the source of light. A point source has a spherical wave front, a parallel slit has a cylindrical wave front and a parallel beam of light has plane wave front.