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kikovti
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i have been pondering why is max speed 3x10^8m/s and what govern that speed. why can't it be like 4x10^8m/s or smth?
why can't it be like 4x10^8m/s or smth?
The speed of light, also known as "c", is considered the maximum speed because it is an inherent property of the universe. According to Einstein's theory of relativity, the speed of light is the ultimate speed limit in the universe and nothing can travel faster than it. This is due to the fact that as an object approaches the speed of light, its mass increases infinitely and it would require an infinite amount of energy to accelerate it further.
The speed of light is approximately 299,792,458 meters per second, or 670,616,629 miles per hour. This is an incredibly fast speed and is equivalent to traveling around the Earth 7.5 times in just one second.
The speed of light is measured in meters per second because it is a fundamental unit of measurement in the International System of Units (SI). This system is used to measure physical quantities and is based on seven base units, one of which is the meter for length and the second for time. Therefore, the speed of light is measured in meters per second as it is a measurement of distance traveled over a specific time.
Based on our current understanding of physics, nothing can travel faster than the speed of light. As mentioned earlier, the closer an object gets to the speed of light, the more mass it gains and the more energy it requires to accelerate. This makes it virtually impossible for anything to surpass the speed of light.
The speed of light was first measured in the late 17th century by Danish astronomer Ole Rømer. He used observations of the moons of Jupiter to calculate the time it took for light to travel from Jupiter to Earth. However, it wasn't until 1983 that the speed of light was accurately measured to be 299,792,458 meters per second by defining the meter as the distance light travels in a vacuum in 1/299,792,458th of a second.