wavefronts

Wavefronts are surfaces in physics that represent points where a wave has the same phase, meaning they oscillate together at the same time. Imagine ripples spreading out in a pond after throwing a stone; each ripple represents a wavefront. These surfaces help visualize the direction and spread of waves, whether they’re light, sound, or water waves. As the wave moves, the wavefronts propagate outward, illustrating how energy travels through a medium, allowing us to understand phenomena like sound travel, light propagation, and even seismic waves during an earthquake.