Diffraction refers to the bending
and spreading of waves around obstacles or through apertures. In order for
diffraction to occur, the size of the obstacle or aperture should be comparable
to the wavelength of the wave.
When it comes to light waves, the
wavelength is typically on the order of 10-6 meters, which means
that obstacles or apertures of this size are quite small and uncommon. As a
result, diffraction is not as common in light waves as it is in sound waves.
On the other hand, the wavelength
of sound waves is generally around 1 meter, which means that obstacles or
apertures of this size are readily available. Therefore, diffraction is a
common phenomenon in sound waves, and we can often observe it in our daily lives.