wave front
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- (Physics) An imaginary surface joining all points in space that are reached at the same instant by a wave propagating through a medium. This is a conceptual surface representing the leading edge or a specific phase (like a peak) of a wave as it travels.
- All the points just reached by a wave as it propagates. This refers to the continuous set of points that form the advancing boundary of the wave disturbance.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- The wave front of the sound pulse was measured to be perfectly spherical.
- As the ripple spread across the pond, the circular wave front expanded outward.
- Opticians study how the shape of a light wave front changes when it passes through a lens.
Advanced Usage
- "Plane wave front": A wave front where all points lie on a flat, planar surface, indicating the wave is traveling in a single direction without spreading.
- Laser light often approximates a plane wave front.
- "Spherical wave front": A wave front where all points lie on the surface of a sphere, indicating the wave is emanating from a point source.
- The sound from the explosion produced a spherical wave front.
Variants and Related Words
- Wavefront (noun): A common alternative spelling, often written as one word.
- The adaptive mirror corrected the distortions in the incoming wavefront.
- Wave surface (noun): A related term sometimes used synonymously with wave front.
Synonyms
- Wave surface
- Phase front
Related Concepts (Not Phrasal Verbs or Idioms)
- Huygens' principle: A theory that explains wave propagation by considering every point on a wave front as a source of secondary wavelets.
- Diffraction: The bending of waves around obstacles, which is analyzed by considering the behavior of the wave front.
Noun
- (physics) an imaginary surface joining all points in space that are reached at the same instant by a wave propagating through a medium
- all the points just reached by a wave as it propagates