What affects the amount of diffraction experienced by a wave?

The amount of diffraction experienced by a wave is primarily influenced by its wavelength. Diffraction is the bending of waves around obstacles and the spreading out of waves as they pass through openings. When the wavelength of the wave is comparable to the size of the obstacle or opening, diffraction occurs more noticeably.

A longer wavelength will cause waves to spread out more as they encounter obstacles, while shorter wavelengths tend to behave more like straight lines and experience less bending. This relationship emphasizes the significance of wavelength in determining how much a wave will diffract when encountering various barriers or slits.

In contrast, other factors such as wave speed, frequency, or amplitude do not have a direct effect on the extent to which a wave diffracts. The speed of a wave relates to how fast it travels through a medium but does not influence the diffraction process itself. Similarly, frequency is related to the energy of the wave and is inversely proportional to wavelength; it doesn’t impact the degree of diffraction directly. Lastly, amplitude pertains to the height of the wave and affects the intensity of the wave rather than its diffraction. Thus, the correct answer is linked to the intrinsic property of the wave, which is its wavelength.