diffraction gratings

Diffraction gratings are devices with many tiny, evenly spaced lines or slits that split and redirect light into multiple specific directions. When light hits the grating, it bends and spreads out into different colors due to interference—where waves add together or cancel out. This creates a spectrum, much like a rainbow, showing different wavelengths of light separately. Gratings are used in spectrometers and lasers to analyze light's composition or produce specific colors, making them essential in science and technology for studying and controlling light in precise ways.