Question

Waves diffract the most when their wavelength is?

Answer 1

Answer: about the same size of the gap

Diffraction happens when a wave (mechanical or electromagnetic wave, in fact, any wave) meets an obstacle or a slit .When this occurs, the wave bends around the corners of the obstacle or passes through the opening of the slit that acts as an obstacle, forming multiple patterns with the shape of the aperture of the slit.

Note that the principal condition for the occurrence of this phenomena is that the obstacle must be comparable in size (similar size) to the size of the wavelength.

In other words, when the gap (or slit) size is larger than the wavelength, the wave passes through the gap and does not spread out much on the other side, but when the gap size is equal to the wavelength, maximum diffraction occurs and the waves spread out greatly.

Therefore:

Waves diffract the most when their wavelength is about the same size of the gap