Skip to main content
Post Closed as "Duplicate" by Emilio Pisanty, Kyle Kanos, CR Drost, Danu, ACuriousMind
Small extra formatting fix.
Source Link
Emilio Pisanty
  • 135.4k
  • 33
  • 358
  • 677

Why is the speed of light $299,792,458$ metres per second, and not faster or slower.

Why not $500$ trillion kilometers per second or $120$ miles per hour?

This has been 'bothering' me for a while. Googling it usually found answers about why isn't '$c$' infinite et cetera, and the answers were usually saying (from my interpretation) that if $c$ were infinite, then matter couldn't exist.

I recently found this reference (https://aeon.co/essays/why-is-the-speed-of-light-the-speed-of-lightthis reference), but despite its blatantly obvious attempt to explain to laymen, I still don't understand why $c$ is (roughly) $300$ million meters per second.

A 'dummy's' guide to my understanding why '$c$' is the number/speed that it is, would be greatly appreciated by me and all others who will read your answer in the future.

Why is the speed of light $299,792,458$ metres per second, and not faster or slower.

Why not $500$ trillion kilometers per second or $120$ miles per hour?

This has been 'bothering' me for a while. Googling it usually found answers about why isn't '$c$' infinite et cetera, and the answers were usually saying (from my interpretation) that if $c$ were infinite, then matter couldn't exist.

I recently found this reference (https://aeon.co/essays/why-is-the-speed-of-light-the-speed-of-light) but despite its blatantly obvious attempt to explain to laymen, I still don't understand why $c$ is (roughly) $300$ million meters per second.

A 'dummy's' guide to my understanding why '$c$' is the number/speed that it is, would be greatly appreciated by me and all others who will read your answer in the future.

Why is the speed of light $299,792,458$ metres per second, and not faster or slower.

Why not $500$ trillion kilometers per second or $120$ miles per hour?

This has been 'bothering' me for a while. Googling it usually found answers about why isn't '$c$' infinite et cetera, and the answers were usually saying (from my interpretation) that if $c$ were infinite, then matter couldn't exist.

I recently found this reference, but despite its blatantly obvious attempt to explain to laymen, I still don't understand why $c$ is (roughly) $300$ million meters per second.

A 'dummy's' guide to my understanding why '$c$' is the number/speed that it is, would be greatly appreciated by me and all others who will read your answer in the future.

Why is the Speedspeed of Light 300light exactly $299,000 km792.458$ m/s and not Fasterfaster or Slowerslower?

Why is the speed of light 299 792 458$299,792,458$ metres per second, and not any faster or slower?.

Why not 500$500$ trillion kilometers per second or 120$120$ miles per hour?

This has been 'bothering' me for a while. GooglingGoogling it usually found answers about why isn't 'c''$c$' infinite etc.et cetera, and the answers were usually saying (from my interpretation) that if c$c$ were infinite, then matter couldn't exist.

I recently (a month ago) found this reference (https://aeon.co/essays/why-is-the-speed-of-light-the-speed-of-light) but despite its blatantly obvious attempt to explain to laymen (and re-reading it several times), I still don't understand why c$c$ is (roughly) 300$300$ million metesmeters per second.

A 'Dummy's''dummy's' guide to my understanding why 'c''$c$' is the number/speed that it is, would be greatly appreciated by me and all others thatwho will read your answer in the future.

Why is the Speed of Light 300,000 km/s and not Faster or Slower?

Why is the speed of light 299 792 458 metres per second and not any faster or slower?

Why not 500 trillion kilometers per second or 120 miles per hour?

This has been 'bothering' me for a while. Googling it usually found answers about why isn't 'c' infinite etc. and the answers were usually saying (from my interpretation) that if c were infinite then matter couldn't exist.

I recently (a month ago) found this (https://aeon.co/essays/why-is-the-speed-of-light-the-speed-of-light) but despite its blatantly obvious attempt to explain to laymen (and re-reading it several times), I still don't understand why c is (roughly) 300 million metes per second.

A 'Dummy's' guide to my understanding why 'c' is the number/speed that it is would be greatly appreciated by me and all others that will read your answer in the future.

Why is the speed of light exactly $299,792.458$ m/s and not faster or slower?

Why is the speed of light $299,792,458$ metres per second, and not faster or slower.

Why not $500$ trillion kilometers per second or $120$ miles per hour?

This has been 'bothering' me for a while. Googling it usually found answers about why isn't '$c$' infinite et cetera, and the answers were usually saying (from my interpretation) that if $c$ were infinite, then matter couldn't exist.

I recently found this reference (https://aeon.co/essays/why-is-the-speed-of-light-the-speed-of-light) but despite its blatantly obvious attempt to explain to laymen, I still don't understand why $c$ is (roughly) $300$ million meters per second.

A 'dummy's' guide to my understanding why '$c$' is the number/speed that it is, would be greatly appreciated by me and all others who will read your answer in the future.

Source Link

Why is the Speed of Light 300,000 km/s and not Faster or Slower?

Why is the speed of light 299 792 458 metres per second and not any faster or slower?

Why not 500 trillion kilometers per second or 120 miles per hour?

This has been 'bothering' me for a while. Googling it usually found answers about why isn't 'c' infinite etc. and the answers were usually saying (from my interpretation) that if c were infinite then matter couldn't exist.

I recently (a month ago) found this (https://aeon.co/essays/why-is-the-speed-of-light-the-speed-of-light) but despite its blatantly obvious attempt to explain to laymen (and re-reading it several times), I still don't understand why c is (roughly) 300 million metes per second.

A 'Dummy's' guide to my understanding why 'c' is the number/speed that it is would be greatly appreciated by me and all others that will read your answer in the future.