Speed of Light. What is c? Why use the letter "c'?

artie

In the equation E=mc2

E is energy

m is mass

What is c? I know that c is the speed of light, but why use the letter c? What does c stand for?

nicksauce

Often in physics a symbol doesn't stand for anything. For example, Momentum=p, Magnetic Field=B... As far as I know, the "c" is completely arbitrary.

artie

That's a little strange in this case, because E and m do match up with Energy and mass! The only thing I can think of is c is constant.

Doc Al

I believe that c was chosen for celeritas, Latin for "speed". (But c for "constant" works too.) Read: Why is c the symbol for the speed of light?

AzonicZeniths

'c' is completely arbitrary, probably not having anything to do with 'constant' as there are several constants in the universe. 'c' is just another physical constant, just like a mathematical variable.

AzonicZeniths

^^^^^^^^^^^^

or that haha

Mapes

I saw a cartoon once of Einstein at a blackboard where he had written E=ma² and crossed it out, then wrote E=mb² and crossed that out...

artie

Excellent!

Since Einstein was German, I had tried to find a German word for "light" that begins with c but it makes more sense that the word would be rooted either in Latin or Greek.


Thanks

malawi_glenn

that is just a joke.

rbj

wow, i thought i saw that one too, but it had different powers for c. like E=mc⁰, E=mc¹, and finally E=mc². maybe there was a crossed out E=mc³ on the blackboard.

i guess it's a way to do physics; guess (and see if experiment supports your guess). about E=mc², no other power would be dimensionally correct if energy and mass are measured in units that do not define c to be one (or dimensionless).

malawi_glenn

Hmm we have derived E = mc^2 at school, so I dont think Einstein just "guessed" that solution.. ;-)

Adonis

as we know c is the absoulte speed (speed of light)
and as i think c^2 is the greatest constant in the physics
i dont know exactly how Eisntein found it...

malawi_glenn

why is not c^88643 bigger?

Just google "derivation of E=mc^2" or search in textbooks about special relativity

Adonis

i said i dont know how Einstein found this equation....
when E=mc^2 apllicated on the particles...it was right
so the scientists has no reason to change c^2 to c^5345345345

Adonis

my own explanation why E=mc^2

E means Energy, measured by Joule
we all now that F=ma and E=Fr =mar(r is the distance)
so Joule=Newton*Meter=Kg*Meter*sec^-2
for E=mc^2 --> Joule=Kg*(Meter*sec^-2)^2
anybody agree with me??

malawi_glenn

That is just an argument from units, why couldn't it be: E = 8*mc^2 ?

You must do the full derivation.

And WHY is c^2 the biggest constant in physics?

i) There are formulas which have c^6 .. aren't that a bigger constant?

ii) c is the constant, c^2 = c*c, i.e the constant c is multiplied with another constant c ...

iii) c is not a real constant, it also have a unit: Lenght/time, so c^2 has units lenght^2/time^2

iv) How can we compare e.g G with c? They have different nummerical values, but they have also different units. Also, you can easy come up with a unit system where G has a bigger nummerical value than c. It is like comparing colour with sound.

/Glenn - 1 term from Masters degree in physics.

HallsofIvy

I'm still unclear as to what the question is! You say you know that "E" is "energy" and "m" is "mass" and understand that "c" represents the speed of light. Are you really only asking why the letter "c" is used for "speed of light?

That was not original with Einstein. Maxwell had already used "c" for the speed of light in his derivation of the wave equation from his equations for the Electric and Magnetic fields and I suspect it had been used that way before. My understanding is that it is from "celerity" which is Latin for "speed".