![]() So Maxwell says the speed of light is constant in a vacuum and so it has be determined. However it is not the general goal of Physics to explain why something is what it is but to determine how things change to relation to other things to establish relationships between elements of our universe under different conditions. As noted above distance scales and time scales are arbitrary so the actual numerical value of the speed of light is arbitrary. Maxwell's equations tell us that c is a constant and relates it to physically measurable constants the permittivity and permeability of free space. the speed at which the universe evolves in any given observer's frame of reference, which is kind of mind boggling if you think about it for a moment. The question about the nature of the speed of light crops up much more often than the question of say "why is the electron mass the value that it has?" is, it seems to me, because what we measure as the speed of light is ultimately the rate or speed of reality, i.e. Ultimately the establishment of values for all of nature's constants are most likely the result of symmetry breaking during the initial phases of the big bang. That light has a limit has and is not infinite is a requirement of general relativity so it has to settle somewhere, and without GR and QFT there would be no one around to speculate. The best answer I've come across ties the value c to the values of the electric constant (vacuum permittivity) and the magnetic constant (vacuum permeability), which are also established physical constants. The speed of light is a constant of nature, just like the value for the Planck constant. That's doesn't answer the question, but in reality, no one really knows. I've seen this question asked many times and similarly the responders go on about the relativity of units of measure. This is the beginnings of a little anthropomorphic headache. Why "that" relative motion.Īll of this to ask, what about light limits it's relative speed to the relative velocity we have come to know and love as the speed of light. So I perceive the train as going "that" fast but wonder why it couldn't be a faster relative motion. This defines motion and our perception of it. I perceive the train as having a velocity but it's relative to me or to a background or something. Speed, or our perception of it, is dependent on measurements or cues of relative comparison. Why is "that" speed, whatever it is, that particular speed? How did the train settle on "that" speed and no other? For example, if I look at a train and someone says that's as fast as the train can go, I don't need to know the actual speed to wonder, "why can't it go faster than "that"". What limits light to "that" speed whatever you call "that". I understand about the units of measurement. Or stated another way.is the speed limit of thought of as 70 because the car CAN'T go faster or can the car not go faster because the speed limit is 70. So I'm interested as to what about the engine limits it's ABILITY to go faster. Two, on this particular car the engine is only capable of pushing it to 70. What property of light or physics pushes it to that speed and no slower? For example, if we use an automobile analogy, why does a car only go 70 mph? With this car there are two reasons that two different people might point to. Whatever the speed works out to be.Why? What property of light or physics puts the brakes on at this speed and no other. ![]() ![]() If miles were 7438 feet per then we'd all be talking about how the speed of light was constant at 132235 mps! But that's not even what I'm driving at. Of course we humans chose the distance called a mile and specified its length. If it was 200000 then Einstein and the rest of us would be talking about how light is measured at 200000 mph (instead of 186282) regardless of our frame of reference. Why not 200000? Why not 154000? There must be some reason light doesn't travel any faster. Why would the speed of light happen to be 186282 mps? What is the property of light that settles on that speed. ![]()
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