The rectilinear propagation of light refers to the principle that light travels in straight lines. This principle explains the production of images by a pinhole camera and the production of real images of objects by lenses. However, it does not explain the formation of diffraction patterns of light. Diffraction is a wave property of light that involves the bending of light waves around obstacles or the spreading of light waves after they pass through a small opening. This phenomenon cannot be explained by the rectilinear propagation of light