Wavefronts & Huygens Challenge
25 NEET-standard questions on the two models of light, Foucault and Maxwell, wavefronts and Huygens principle. Answer each one. If you get it wrong, Vidya Ma’am explains it with an animated movie you can control, a slider to play with, and a step-by-step solution. Then try again.
NCERT Physics XII Part II · Ch. 10 · pp. 255–258Keys: A–D or 1–4 to answer
🧠 Formula memory tricks (open before you start)
“Towards = slower (wave)”Bending towards the normal: wave model says slower, corpuscular says faster. Foucault: water is slower.
Speed in a mediumv = c/nwavelet radius = vt
Wave relationc = fλyellow light: λ ≈ 0.6 µm, f ≈ 5×10¹⁴ Hz
Timeline1637 · 1678 · 1801 · 1850Descartes · Huygens · Young · Foucault. Maxwell ≈1855, Hertz ≈1890
WavefrontSurface of constant phase. Energy travels ⟂ to it.
HuygensEvery point is a source of wavelets (radius vt). New wavefront = common tangent.Backwave: ad hoc zero amplitude
Far awayA small patch of a sphere ≈ a plane wave.
right first tryfixed after explanationstill to fix
Made for NEET students · Progress is saved in this browser · SAMPLE build: voice recording pending