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How is it valid that a finite slit can be treated as many point sources?

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How is it valid that a finite slit can be treated as many point sources?

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The principle that each point on a wavefront can be considered a new source of waves is called “Huygens’ Principle”. For those interested, here is a link with a discussion of the relation of Huygens’ Principle and the wave equation: http://www.mathpages.com/home/kmath242/kmath242.htm As it turns out, Huygens first discussed it some 125 years before Young did his experiment. In fact he developed it in order to describe reflection and refraction, not interference!

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