Which optical phenomenon, understood by Alhazen in the 11th century, fundamentally enabled the design of pinhole cameras?

💡 Explanation

When light passes through a small hole, rectilinear propagation occurs because light travels in straight lines, forming an inverted image on the opposite wall. Therefore rectilinear propagation of light is the key principle, rather than wave-particle duality, diffraction, or refraction, which involve more complex optical effects.

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