What causes light to shatter?

Light doesn't actually "shatter" in a literal sense, but it can appear to scatter or break apart when it passes through a medium with varying refractive indices, like a prism or textured surface. This phenomenon is known as dispersion, where different wavelengths of light are bent by different amounts, causing a spectrum of colors to emerge. Additionally, when light encounters obstacles or irregularities, it can diffract, leading to patterns that might resemble shattering.