The diffraction is external to the particle and therefore independent of particle composition. Diffraction is also independent of wavelength, and depends only on particle size.

Diffraction is a wave phenomenon; it is observed in the propagation of a variety of waves: the diffraction of light, sound waves, waves on the surface of a liquid, and so on. From the standpoint of classical physics, diffraction is impossible in the scattering of particles.

Diffraction is the spreading out of waves as they pass through an aperture or around objects. It occurs when the size of the aperture or obstacle is of the same order of magnitude as the wavelength of the incident wave. For very small aperture sizes, the vast majority of the wave is blocked.

Light behaves as a wave – it undergoes reflection, refraction, and diffraction just like any wave would. Yet there is still more reason to believe in the wavelike nature of light.

This early conception of the particle theory of light was an early forerunner to the modern understanding of the photon. This theory cannot explain refraction, diffraction and interference, which require an understanding of the wave theory of light of Christiaan Huygens.

Water wave diffraction is the phenomenon where waves encounter an obstacle or gap and propagate into a sheltered area at a different angle than the original wave train.

Like waves, light reflects, refracts and diffracts in the same manner as them. Light would also undergo same interference as the wave would. Also, light would exhibit a Doppler effect just as wave would. In short, light behaves exactly the same as how we would see and mathematically understand waves.

Another wave-like property of light is diffraction. When light waves encounter an obstacle or pass through an opening they will bend. The diffraction of light can be seen in the silver lining around clouds as well as the patterns of light from the surface of a compact disc (see picture).

The diffraction of light by particles is one of the components of light scattering. The other two components are refraction and reflection. The diffraction is external to the particle and therefore independent of particle composition. Diffraction is also independent of wavelength, and depends only on particle size.

Particle and Wave Diffraction. This fundamentally important observation lends a significant amount of credibility to the wave theory of light. Like waves in water, light waves encountering the edge of an object appear to bend around the edge and into its geometric shadow, which is a region that is not directly illuminated by the light beam.

Particle diffraction. Diffraction of electrons and neutrons stood as one of the powerful arguments in favor of quantum mechanics. The wavelength associated with a particle is the de Broglie wavelength where h is Planck’s constant and p is the momentum of the particle (mass × velocity for slow-moving particles).

Single-slit diffraction. A long slit of infinitesimal width which is illuminated by light diffracts the light into a series of circular waves and the wavefront which emerges from the slit is a cylindrical wave of uniform intensity. A slit which is wider than a wavelength produces interference effects in the space downstream of the slit.

Not to be confused with refraction, the change in direction of a wave passing from one medium to another. Diffraction refers to various phenomena that occur when a wave encounters an obstacle or opening.