Final answer:
Violet light diffracts the most when passing through a diffraction grating.
Step-by-step explanation:
The type of radiation that diffracts the most when passing through a diffraction grating is violet light. Violet light has the highest frequencies and shortest wavelengths among the options given (red, yellow, blue, and violet). Diffraction occurs when light waves encounter an obstacle or a slit that is comparable in size to the wavelength of the light. The shorter the wavelength, the more pronounced the diffraction effects will be.
When light passes through a diffraction grating, it gets spread out or diffracted, and different colors (wavelengths) of light will diffract by different amounts. According to the wave theory of light, diffraction varies with wavelength; the longer the wavelength, the greater the diffraction angle. Since red light has the lowest frequencies and longest wavelengths among the colors listed, it will diffract the most when passing through a diffraction grating.