The phenomenon where different wavelengths in white light come into focus at different points is known as?

The phenomenon where different wavelengths in white light come into focus at different points is referred to as chromatic aberration. This optical effect occurs due to the variation in the refractive index of a lens material for different colors of light. Since each wavelength bends by a slightly different amount when passing through a lens, they do not converge at the same point on the image plane. This results in color fringing and blurriness around the edges of objects in images.

In contrast, spherical aberration relates to the shape of the lens and how light rays that strike the lens at different distances from the optical axis are refracted differently, causing blurring. Distortion refers to the alteration of the original shape or proportions of an image, while optical aberration is a broader term that encompasses various imperfections in lens systems, including both chromatic and spherical aberration. Thus, chromatic aberration specifically identifies the color-focused issue that the question describes.