speed of light
Học thuậtThân thiện
A beam of light travels from a distant star to a planet at the speed of light.
Definition
- Noun:
- The speed at which light travels in a vacuum; a fundamental constant of nature: This is the maximum speed at which all conventional matter and information in the universe can travel. It is a cornerstone of modern physics, particularly in Albert Einstein's theory of relativity.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- According to Einstein's theory, nothing with mass can reach the speed of light.
- The speed of light in a vacuum is approximately 299,792 kilometers per second.
- Astronomers measure vast interstellar distances in light-years, the distance light travels in one year at the speed of light.
Advanced Usage
- "At the speed of light": Used metaphorically to describe something that happens extremely quickly.
- News of the scandal spread across the internet at the speed of light.
- In physics, it is often denoted by the lowercase letter 'c'.
- Einstein's famous equation is E=mc², where 'c' represents the speed of light.
Variants and Related Words
- Light-speed (adjective, often hyphenated): Describing something that travels at or near the speed of light.
- The science fiction novel featured light-speed travel.
- c (symbol): The standard scientific symbol for the speed of light in a vacuum.
Synonyms
- Light velocity: A less common but technically accurate synonym.
- c: The standard scientific notation.
Related Phrases
- Faster-than-light: A theoretical concept describing travel or communication that exceeds the speed of light, often abbreviated as FTL.
- Light-year: An astronomical unit of distance, defined as the distance light travels in one year.
Related Idioms
- At the speed of light: While literal in science, this is also a common idiom meaning "with incredible speed."
- The company's stock value fell at the speed of light after the report was published.
A beam of light travels from a distant star to a planet at the speed of light.
Noun
- the speed at which light travels in a vacuum; the constancy and universality of the speed of light is recognized by defining it to be exactly 299,792,458 meters per second