Cecil Moore wrote:

Jim Kelley wrote:

Cecil Moore wrote:
Where did I go wrong in the following logic? You have said there is
no energy in those reverse-traveling waves. Waves cannot exist without
energy. Therefore, reflected waves don't exist. Since they don't exist,
they cannot cause standing waves.

You went wrong in the first sentence. That statement is false.

So you are saying that there is energy in those reverse-traveling waves?

What does "energy in" waves mean? Energy is required in order to
generate EM waves. Energy can be transferred from one place to another
by EM waves (if a conversion in form takes place at both places, or
there is otherwise a change in the total energy at both places). And
standing EM waves can store energy. But to infer that energy is being
transferred from one place to another from the mere presence of waves
could lead one to some wrong conclusions.

73, Jim AC6XG