The process of dispersing or spreading things widely in different directions. In physics, it refers to the deflection of particles or waves when they encounter obstacles or non-uniformities.
From Middle English 'scateren', possibly from Old Norse 'skatha' meaning 'to damage'. The word evolved from describing the dispersal of objects to include scientific phenomena like light scattering.
Rayleigh scattering is why the sky appears blue—shorter blue wavelengths get scattered more by atmospheric particles than longer red wavelengths! This same principle explains why sunsets are red and why distant mountains appear bluish, making scattering one of the most visible physics phenomena in daily life.
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