Practice question
Question
Why does the reflected wavefront from a plane surface maintain the same angle as the incident
wavefront?
Explanation
**Wavefront** is locus of points in same phase, spherical from point source, plane at large distance because radius large, Huygens principle every point on wavefront acts as secondary source of wavelets, new wavefront envelope of secondary wavelets, allows prediction of new wavefront shape from known wavefront, explains reflection and refraction. The wave model shows that secondary wavelets from the surface form a reflected wavefront where the angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection due to geometric symmetry. Using Δ = d sinθ, y = n λ D/d, a sinθ = n λ, I = I₀ cos²θ, n = c/v, sinC = 1/n, λ' =
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