2007-02-28 08:08:53 · 27 answers · asked by flowerpetal 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
186,000 miles per second. 6 trillion miles in one year.
2007-02-28 08:11:45 · answer #1 · answered by greatlakesdude 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The speed of light in a vacuum is 300,000,000 meters per second. OR 186,411.4583 miles per second in a vacuum.
Now that is from the center frequency of visible light. Which is a frequency of 5.9 X 10^14. Increasing or decreasing the frequency is a change in wave length (Angstroms, or centimeters) . Which will increase or decrease the speed proportionally.
Light can be directionally altered by magnetic forces. So, if you want to consider a direct straight line from point a to point b, in a vacuum with no gravitational forces around, then 3.0 X 10^8 is proper.
If you add a gravitational force or atmosphere then you have a bend in the light and drag. So it would take longer or a greater distance.
A light year is 5,882,698,236,448 miles. And our nearest star, Proxima Centauri, has a parallax of 0.75", hence a distance of 1/0.75 = 1.33 parsecs, or 4.3 light years away. That means that IF you could travel at the speed of light then it would take 4 years and 4 months to get there. Our galaxy is over 10,000 light years wide. Do you feel small yet? lol
Just for fun Warp speed is 1 X the speed of light. Warp 2 in roughly 10 times the speed of light. If you used a E chart or logarithmic chart you would see that Warp 10 is (in my thinking) not possible. Thought would be just about as fast.
No, I'm not crazy either. I just think bigger!
2007-02-28 16:48:39 · answer #2 · answered by Bigdog 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
186,282.397 (186,000) miles/second, 299,792,458 (300,000,000) meters per second, but this is only in a vacuum. It is slower in air, and scientist have been able to slow it down substantially. (I think to 1/6 of full speed.) hHis speed has never been reached by humans or any attemts by humans, as it takes theoretically infinite energy. However, it is possible to exceed this speed. Wormholes may be an option, and it did so in the seconds after the Big Bang.
The scientific abbreviation is "c"
you might recognize it from the equation E=mc^2
Another tidbit: the definition of a meter is the amount of space light travels in 1/299,792,458 of a second. Yet the speed is measured in meters. Kinda contradictory, isn't it?
2007-02-28 16:11:55 · answer #3 · answered by John Doe IV 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The speed of light is the speed at which electromagnetic waves can move in a vacuum: 299,792,458 meters/sec (186,000 miles/second). According to Einstein's Theory of Relativity, nothing can go faster than the speed of light. SPEED OF SOUND The speed of sound is the speed at which sound moves through air. At sea level and standard atmospheric pressure, the speed of sound is 1116.45 feet per second (340.294 meters per second).
2007-02-28 16:12:09 · answer #4 · answered by Siren 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The speed of light is the speed at which electromagnetic waves can move in a vacuum: 299,792,458 meters/sec (186,000 miles/second). According to Einstein's Theory of Relativity, nothing can go faster than the speed of light. SPEED OF SOUND The speed of sound is the speed at which sound moves through air. At sea level and standard atmospheric pressure, the speed of sound is 1116.45 feet per second (340.294 meters per second).
2007-02-28 16:12:36 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
In a vacuum, light always travels at a speed of 299,792,458 meters per second, no matter how its speed is measured.
2007-02-28 16:13:14 · answer #6 · answered by Scott B 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The speed of light is 670,616,629.384 miles per hour exactly.
In perspective: travel from Earth to sun and back seven times in one hour.
2007-02-28 16:41:01 · answer #7 · answered by suraj_krsna1 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The speed of light in vacuum is exactly 299,792,458 m/s (metres per second)
2007-02-28 16:13:19 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
299 792 458 m / s
2007-02-28 16:11:49 · answer #9 · answered by Roller Coaster Know It All 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
299 792 458 m / s
2007-02-28 16:11:25 · answer #10 · answered by inesp01 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
300,000,000metres per second.
300,000km per second.
Not that fast. If you went faster than light away from earth then stopped and looked back you would see the earth in the past
2007-02-28 16:11:48 · answer #11 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋