Question: How does the instanceof operator in Java determine if an object is an instance of a specific class or interface?

A) It checks whether the object belongs to the specified class or implements the specified interface by examining the object's runtime type.
B) It verifies if the object is compatible with the specified class or interface by comparing memory addresses.
C) It performs a deep comparison between the object's attributes and the class or interface definition to ensure compatibility.
D) It checks if the object's class or interface definition matches exactly with the specified class or interface by comparing their names.