Question

Which among the following statements is true about Hugen’s principle

• A. Each point on a wavefront is a source of secondary waves
• B. Each point on a wavefront is a sink of secondary waves
• C. No point on a wavefront is a source of secondary waves
• D. None of the above

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

To understand which statement about Huygens' principle is true, we need to review the principle itself:

Huygens' principle states that every point on a wavefront can be considered as a source of secondary spherical wavelets. These wavelets spread out in the forward direction at the speed of light or sound. The new wavefront is found by constructing the envelope of these secondary wavelets.

Based on this principle, let's evaluate the given options:

• Option 1: Each point on a wavefront is a source of secondary waves. True
• Option 2: Each point on a wavefront is a sink of secondary waves. False
• Option 3: No point on a wavefront is a source of secondary waves. False
• Option 4: None of the above. False

The correct statement is that each point on a wavefront is a source of secondary waves. This aligns perfectly with Huygens' original wave theory, providing a foundational basis for explaining wave phenomena.