Diffraction is when waves bend and spread out when they hit something or go through a small opening. Here are some important points to understand:

• Types of Waves: This happens with all kinds of waves, like sound, light, and water.

• Understanding the Pattern: You can use a simple formula to see how much the waves will bend:

  $\text{Angle} \propto \frac{\lambda}{d}$

  In this formula, $\lambda$ means wavelength (how long the wave is) and $d$ is the size of the opening.

• What Happens: When the wavelength is about the same size as the opening, the waves bend more.

• Where It’s Used: Diffraction is really important in things around us, like microphones and devices that use light.

In real life, you can notice diffraction when you hear sound waves echo in hallways or see light streaming through narrow spaces.