Cecil Moore wrote:

Jim Kelley wrote:

Cecil Moore wrote:

Jim Kelley wrote:

I said it because waves do not, according to the definition of the
word, 'act upon one another'.


But they can act upon one another, Jim. The Florida State web
page says so. The Melles-Groit web page says so.


No they don't. If the waves themselves changed, then their resultant
superposition would also change. It's a completely unfounded notion,
Cecil.


Here's an example of that "unfounded notion". Please
point out my error.

The error is not in the superposition of waves. The error is in your
beliefs about the superposition of waves.

Let's take the Florida State example that you like. If I recall
correctly it illustrates how two waves traveling in the same direction
combine and interfere. Now if one of the waves at its peak has an
amplitude of 1.0, while at that same instant the other wave has a peak
amplitude of -0.5, the resultant wave will have a peak amplitude of
0.5. I hope we agree so far. Now, according to you, this process
effects a change on each of the individual waves. If that is so, then
please describe each of the waves after they have superposed, and
detail the process by which that change took place.

Only interactions with matter can alter the characteristics of waves.
That's what Maxwells equations tell us. The argument for wave-wave
"interaction" is the same as the argument for reflection from virtual
impedance discontinuities.

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