When different wavelengths of light are bent at slightly different angles, what phenomenon occurs?

The phenomenon where different wavelengths of light are bent at slightly different angles is called dispersion. This occurs because each wavelength of light travels at different speeds when passing through a medium such as glass or water. As a result of these different speeds, shorter wavelengths (like blue light) are bent more than longer wavelengths (like red light). This separation of light into its component colors creates a spectrum, which is why we can see rainbows when light passes through raindrops, for example.

While other options like reflection, refraction, and diffraction are important concepts in the study of light, they do not specifically refer to the splitting of light into a spectrum based on wavelength. Reflection involves light bouncing off a surface, refraction refers to the bending of light as it passes from one medium to another at an angle, and diffraction is the bending of light around obstacles or through openings. Each of these phenomena does not necessarily involve the separation of light into its different color wavelengths.