Dimensions of Speed of Light | Speed of Light Dimension

Dimensions of Speed of Light: The Speed of light in the vacuum is approximately 3×108 m/s. The Speed of Light decreases as the density of the substance it is travelling into increases. Since the Speed of Light is basically speed, the dimensional formula of speed of light is equal to the dimensional formula of speed. Thus, in this article, we present to you the Dimensional Formula of Speed of Light which is

M0L1T -1

Dimensions of Speed of Light

Dimensions of Speed of Light

As mentioned above, the Speed of Light Dimension is equal to the dimensional formula of speed. The Dimensional Formula of Speed is given below.

~=~{M^0L^1T^{-1}}

Dimensional Formulae are written in the form:

~=~{M^{a}L^{b}T^{c}}

Where,

M represents Mass

L represents Length

T represents Time

and a, b, and c are the powers of M, L, and T respectively.

Also See:

Three blocks with masses m 2m and 3m are connected by strings, as shown in the figure. After an upward force F is applied on block m, the masses move upward at constant speed v. What is the net force on the block of mass 2m?A particle moving along x-axis has acceleration f, at time t, given f=f nod(1-t/T), where f nod and T are constants. The particle at t=0 has zero velocity. When f=0, the particle’s velocity is?

Derivation of Dimensions of Speed of Light | Derivation of Speed of Light Dimension

Since we know that 

Speed~=~Distance/Time

Hence

Dimension~of~Speed~=~{Dimension~of~Distance}/{Dimension~of~Time}

  • Dimension of Distance = M0L1T0
  • Dimension of Time = M0L0T1

Dimensions~of~Speed~=~{M^0L^1T^0}/{M^0L^0T^1}

~=~{M^0L^1T^{~-1}}

Hence proved that the Dimensions of Speed of Light is M0L1T-1

Light

Light is electromagnetic radiation that allows us to view objects and is visible to the eye. It is, therefore, also known as visible light, while invisible light is the various other electromagnet radiations in the electromagnetic spectrum. Light enables all living beings to see. It interacts with matter before reaching our eye, thus allowing us to see that matter. Light also makes life possible. Sunlight is used by plants and trees to produce food which is then consumed by animals to survive.

For centuries, humans have pondered over the nature of light. As a result, a few theories emerged to explain it. One theory is the Particle Theory which says that light is composed of particles of matter that interact differently with different media. Isaac Newton was the most prominent proponent of this theory. Another theory, which replaced the Particle Theory as the dominant theory, is the Wave theory. The theory states that light exhibits properties of a wave, such as interference. His theory was propounded by the likes of Thomas Young, who is also renowned for his Double Split Experiment. There is also the Electromagnetic Theory of Light which states that light consists of electromagnetic waves moving in electric and magnetic fields perpendicular to each other. The theory was propounded by Michael Faraday. The final prominent theory is the Quantum theory of light which states that light travels in small packets called quanta and that it exhibits both particle and wave nature.

Speed of Light

Light travels at an extremely fast speed (for a scale humans can comprehend). It is equal to 299,792,458 m/s in vacuum. It is denoted as c. For simplification, we use the value 3 x 108 meters per second. It is the highest speed that can be achieved by any object, according to Einstien’s Theory of Relativity. The speed of light is different in different media. In the air, it is equal to 299,702,547, slightly less than c. In glass, it is 2 x 108, significantly less than c.

However, the speed of light might be very high for humans, on the cosmic scale, it is hopelessly slow. So slow in fact that it takes millions of years for light takes millions of years, and for some even billions of years to reach Earth. To give you a sense of it, the closest star, Alpha Centauri, is four light years away from Earth. That means that it takes four years for light from our closest star to reach us. It even takes about eight minutes for sunlight to reach Earth.

However, it is not just light that travels at the speed of light. Field disturbances such as gravitational and electrical fields also flow at c.

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