In the study of waves, understanding how they behave is crucial. Waves exhibit several interesting behaviors, including reflection, refraction, diffraction, and interference.

Reflection is the bouncing back of a wave when it encounters a surface that does not absorb all of its energy. For example, when light waves hit a mirror, they reflect, allowing us to see our reflection.

Refraction occurs when a wave changes its direction as it passes from one medium to another. This phenomenon is easily observed when a straw in a glass of water appears bent due to the light waves being refracted at the air-water interface.

Diffraction is the bending or spreading out of waves as they pass through an opening or encounter an obstacle. When sound waves pass through a narrow doorway, they exhibit diffraction and spread out in all directions.

Interference is the result of two or more waves overlapping and combining their amplitudes. This can lead to constructive interference, where the amplitudes reinforce and result in a larger wave, or destructive interference, where the amplitudes cancel out and result in a smaller or no wave at all.