What does the phenomenon of diffraction refer to?

The phenomenon of diffraction refers specifically to the bending of light waves around obstacles and openings. This occurs because light behaves as a wave, and when it encounters an obstacle or passes through an aperture that is comparable in size to its wavelength, it spreads out rather than continuing in a straight line. This behavior is a fundamental characteristic of wave phenomena and can be observed in various practical situations, such as light spreading out when passing through a narrow slit or the patterns created when light interacts with the edges of an object.

Understanding diffraction is essential in optics because it explains various behaviors of waves, including the creation of patterns and the limitations of resolution in optical devices. This is why the option concerning reflection, dispersion, and absorption do not describe diffraction, as they pertain to different behaviors and interactions of light rather than its wave-like bending around barriers.