Cecil Moore wrote:
Gene Fuller wrote:
I guess I was not quite clear. I don't care if you are talking net
energy, gross energy, with or without circulators, or anything else.
As long as there are no sources or sinks of energy in the region of
interest, the Poynting vector tells you absolutely nothing about
energy balance or conservation of energy.

That's not the point at all. The question is pretty
simple. Does the principle of superposition give us
permission to analyze the individual forward and
reflected waves separately and then superpose the
results? If you say "no", then you don't accept the
superposition principle. If you say "yes", then
please stop harping that the only valid way to solve
a problem is your way.

Just forget about ExB (or more commonly, ExH).

Your advice is to forget acquired knowledge and tools
and put one's trust in who? You?

Cecil,

I have said many times that you can choose to analyze the individual
components or you can analyze the superposed combination, i.e., a
standing wave. It is purely a matter of mathematical convenience.
However, if you get different answers, including more or less
completeness, then you have made an error. That is the essence of
superposition. If that property was not true, then superposition would
be of little value.

It is rather ironic that you are accusing *me* of allowing only one
valid method when I have repeatedly stated a flexible approach. Is that
some sort of debating technique you learned?

Are you instead seeing a reflection of yourself? Is this some sort of
mirror trick?

8-)

73,
Gene
W4SZ