Which quantity describes the energy that travels forward after striking a boundary?

Which quantity describes the energy that travels forward after striking a boundary?

• A. Incident intensity
• B. Transmitted intensity
• C. Reflected intensity
• D. IRC

Answer: (B)

When a wave meets a boundary, some energy is reflected back and some passes into the second medium. The energy that continues forward into that second medium is called transmitted intensity. The incident intensity is the energy arriving at the boundary, while the reflected intensity is the energy sent back into the original medium. The intensity reflection coefficient (IRC) is a ratio describing how much energy is reflected, not the forward-going energy itself. So transmitted intensity best describes the forward-traveling energy after the boundary.

When a wave meets a boundary, some energy is reflected back and some passes into the second medium. The energy that continues forward into that second medium is called transmitted intensity. The incident intensity is the energy arriving at the boundary, while the reflected intensity is the energy sent back into the original medium. The intensity reflection coefficient (IRC) is a ratio describing how much energy is reflected, not the forward-going energy itself. So transmitted intensity best describes the forward-traveling energy after the boundary.