Which type of wave phenomena involves the bending of waves around obstacles or through openings?

Diffraction is the wave phenomenon that describes how waves bend around obstacles or spread out after passing through small openings. This bending occurs because waves have the ability to navigate around edges and contours, resulting in patterns that can be observed, for example, when sound continues to be heard around a corner or when light spreads out after passing through a narrow slit.

In essence, diffraction is highly dependent on the relationship between the wavelength of the wave and the size of the obstacle or opening. When the dimensions of the obstacle or opening are comparable to the wavelength, noticeable diffraction occurs. This concept plays a crucial role in a variety of applications, from acoustics to optics, illustrating how waves propagate in different environments.

Other phenomena like reflection involves the bouncing back of waves when they encounter a surface, refraction is concerned with the change in direction of waves as they pass from one medium to another due to a change in speed, and transmission refers to the passage of waves through a medium without significant alteration. These concepts are distinct from diffraction, which specifically focuses on the bending and spreading of waves in response to obstacles or apertures.