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== Is this part accurate in History? ==
== Semi-protected edit request on 3 October 2022 ==


Quote:
{{Edit semi-protected|Speed of light|answered=yes}}
[Hope to Editor as following as]
Insert the following sentence to the proper line of "Increases accuracy of c redefinition og the metre and second"


'''Connections with electromagnetism'''
 'After similar experiments found comparable results for c, In 1973, the Consultative Committee of the Definition of the Metre determined the speed of light in vacuum to be c= 299 792 458±1.1 m/s[164, 165] by using the average of vacuum wavelength of several laboratories[166] and the frequency[167] of methane-stabilized He-Ne lasers.


In the 19th century ''Hippolyte Fizeau'' developed a method to determine the speed of light based on time-of-flight measurements on Earth and reported a value of 315000 km/s (''704,634,932 m/h'').
 <Ref>
[164] J. Terrien, Wavelength standards, optical frequency standards, and the velocity of light, Nouv. Rev. Optique, 1973, t. 4, no 4, pp. 215-220, Bureau International des Poidset Mesures, Pavillon de Breteuil, F-92310, Sevres
[165] Comite International des Poids et Mesures, Comite Consultatif pour La
Definition du METRE, 5e Session-1973 (13-15 Juin), Bureau international des Poids et Mesures, Pavillonde Breteuil, F-92310, Sevres
[166] 3 392 231. 3955 pm; an average of values reported by several laboratories( NBS (the National Bureau of Standards; It became the National Institute of Standards and Technology, or NIST, in 1988), NRC (the National Research Council Canada ), and BIPM (the International Bureau of Weights and Measures)).
[167] 88 367 181 627±50 kHz; measured by the US National Bureau of Standards in Boulder, Colorado


The End. [[User:Suh, Hosuhng|Suh, Hosuhng]] ([[User talk:Suh, Hosuhng|talk]]) 07:19, 3 October 2022 (UTC)
His method was improved upon by ''Léon Foucault'' who obtained a value of 298000 km/s (''666,607,015 m/h'') in 1862. [[User:Kailandosk|Kailandosk]] ([[User talk:Kailandosk|talk]]) 01:06, 18 November 2023 (UTC)
:[[File:Red information icon with gradient background.svg|20px|link=|alt=]] '''Not done:''' please provide [[Wikipedia:Reliable sources|reliable sources]] that support the change you want to be made.<!-- Template:ESp --> I couldn't grasp your formatting for the sources. [[User:Aaron Liu|Aaron Liu]] ([[User talk:Aaron Liu|talk]]) 11:31, 24 October 2022 (UTC)


:Are you suggesting our article may not be correct or proposing that it include conversions to km/h at that point, and in either case, why? [[User:NebY|NebY]] ([[User talk:NebY|talk]]) 11:07, 18 November 2023 (UTC)
== Speed of light in a medium ==


::There's a definite discrepancy in number of significant digits between the quoted metric and traditional measurements... [[User:AnonMoos|AnonMoos]] ([[User talk:AnonMoos|talk]]) 13:10, 18 November 2023 (UTC)
The "in a medium" section states:"However, this represents absorption and re-radiation delay between atoms, as do all slower-than-''c'' speeds in material substances".<br>
:::Indeed, but the values in parentheses aren't in the article. If we wanted to include them, we could use {{tl|Convert}}, which would probably round them appropriately automatically, and wouldn't abbreviate miles to "m" either, but I don't see why we'd want to include such conversions in that part of the article anyway. [[User:NebY|NebY]] ([[User talk:NebY|talk]]) 13:46, 18 November 2023 (UTC)
I am specifically thinking of the speed of light in transparent material such as glass or diamond. If that statement is true, wouldn't we expect the re-radiation to be emitted in random directions, scattering the light more and more as it travels through the material, making these materials not transparent at all? Doesn't the fact that we can see a clear picture through a glass pane, of what is on the other side, disprove that there is absorption and re-radiation, but instead that there is some other mechanism?<br>
::::I added the parenthesis. It's just a conversion to m/h that I made, just to show how different they are & to convert it into U.S. terms. [[User:Kailandosk|Kailandosk]] ([[User talk:Kailandosk|talk]]) 00:15, 24 December 2023 (UTC)
Assuming that there is absorption by an electron, and some very small amount of time (dt) later, some re-radiation by the same electron, wouldn't this electron be in a slightly different angular position, in relation to the atom core, that small amount of time (dt) later? and therefore causing the re-emission to be at a slightly different angle? [[User:Dhrm77|Dhrm77]] ([[User talk:Dhrm77|talk]]) 12:27, 9 November 2022 (UTC)
:[[WP:Not a forum]]. The talk page is for improving the article by reference to reliable sources, not for personal speculations. [[User:Xxanthippe|Xxanthippe]] ([[User talk:Xxanthippe|talk]]) 22:13, 29 December 2022 (UTC).
::I'm not sure if 315000 or 298000 km/s is correct. I feel it's 315000 km/s, but I'm not sure. [[User:Kailandosk|Kailandosk]] ([[User talk:Kailandosk|talk]]) 18:04, 25 November 2023 (UTC)
::The argument is well founded. Hopefully I can provide acceptable sources. If you look at the "see also" material [[Refractive index]] "Microscopic explanation" section provides an explanation directly contradicting the statement in question.
::I've seen a user removing this sentence which got reverted because lack of the source, which is fair enough, but hopefully other well written wiki section is okay.
::The statement itself does not provide a citation as well. I couldn't track down this information. I think it is true for those exotic materials and extreme light slowing down, but not for general light propagation through materials, especially not for refraction in transparent materials.
::I also found a video from Fermilab that says that bouncing off atoms is specifically not the reason why light slows down in water. It is due to EM field interactions in material. The argument is exactly the same as from Dhrm77, even if one could argue absorption and reemission is not exactly scattering the logic still holds up because it's still bouncing off atoms just with even more delay - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUjt36SD3h8&t=171. In a follow up video there is an exact explanation of refraction which is in full agreement with the "Microscopic explanation" of refractive index article - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLmpNM0sgYk&t=517s
::The "slower than c" speed in those materials are not due to single photon-atom interactions like emission and absorption or scattering but due to EM wave interactions between the light and material, the resulting wave looks like a wave with lower propagation speed. It's not any kind of "delay between atoms" at all. [[Special:Contributions/83.21.29.156|83.21.29.156]] ([[User talk:83.21.29.156|talk]]) 00:49, 4 June 2023 (UTC)


== Why not also include an accurate description of c in miles per second? ==


186282.3970512 mi/s, to be fairly accurate.
== michelson morley experiments? ==


== Speed of light in vacuum ==
I think the Michelson-Morley experiments should be added in this wiki. Please adivse. [[Special:Contributions/82.174.79.67|82.174.79.67]] ([[User talk:82.174.79.67|talk]]) 21:40, 1 July 2023 (UTC)


Wikipedia should get rid of all occurrences of the phrase "speed of light in vacuum". There is only one speed of light, which is a universal constant. Also the speed of light doesn't change if not in vacuum. [[Group velocity]] represents the real speed of a photon, and that doesn't change. Only [[phase velocity]] is changing, causing the optical effects that mislead people. But this very article is explaining the same in the section [[Speed of light#In a medium]]. [[User:Lustakutya|Lustakutya]] ([[User talk:Lustakutya|talk]]) 13:24, 20 May 2024 (UTC)
:See [[Speed_of_light#"Luminiferous_aether"]] &#32;<span style="font-variant:small-caps; whitespace:nowrap;">[[User:Headbomb|Headbomb]] {[[User talk:Headbomb|t]] · [[Special:Contributions/Headbomb|c]] · [[WP:PHYS|p]] · [[WP:WBOOKS|b]]}</span> 22:04, 1 July 2023 (UTC)


:If you have a reference for your point of view please share it. [[User:Johnjbarton|Johnjbarton]] ([[User talk:Johnjbarton|talk]]) 15:15, 20 May 2024 (UTC)
== kilometres per hour to be consistent ==
::@[[User:Johnjbarton|Johnjbarton]] shouldn't this work the other way around? I don't want to add anything. I want something to be removed which has no reference. [[User:Lustakutya|Lustakutya]] ([[User talk:Lustakutya|talk]]) 15:52, 20 May 2024 (UTC)
:::The article has rather a lot of mentions of the speed of light in vacuum that are supported by references to [[WP:RS|reliable sources]]. Merely in [[Speed of light#Numerical value, notation, and units]], we have {{tqb|Sometimes {{Math|''c''}} is used for the speed of waves in any material medium, and {{Math|''c''}}<sub>0</sub> for the speed of light in vacuum.<ref name=handbook>See, for example:
* {{Cite book
|last=Lide |first=D. R.
|year=2004
|title=CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics
|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WDll8hA006AC&q=speed+of+light+%22c0+OR+%22&pg=PT76
|pages=2–9
|publisher=[[CRC Press]]
|isbn=978-0-8493-0485-9
}}
* {{Cite book
|last=Harris |first=J. W. |year=2002
|title=Handbook of Physics
|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=c60mCxGRMR8C&q=speed+of+light+%22c0+OR+%22+date:2000-2009&pg=PA499
|page=499
|publisher=Springer
|isbn=978-0-387-95269-7
|display-authors=etal}}
* {{Cite book
|last=Whitaker |first=J. C.
|year=2005
|title=The Electronics Handbook
|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FdSQSAC3_EwC&q=speed+of+light+c0+handbook&pg=PA235
|page=235
|publisher=CRC Press
|isbn=978-0-8493-1889-4
}}
* {{Cite book
|last=Cohen |first=E. R. |year=2007
|title=Quantities, Units and Symbols in Physical Chemistry
|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TElmhULQoeIC&q=speed+of+light+c0+handbook&pg=PA143
|page=184
|edition=3rd
|publisher=[[Royal Society of Chemistry]]
|isbn=978-0-85404-433-7
|display-authors=etal}}</ref> This subscripted notation, which is endorsed in official SI literature<ref name=BIPM_SI_units>{{SIbrochure8th|page=112}}</ref> ....}} I find the idea that we would deny the current definition of the metre rather disturbing. [[User:NebY|NebY]] ([[User talk:NebY|talk]]) 16:20, 20 May 2024 (UTC)
::::This is what I was talking about from the beginning. You are confusing two different concepts as well. ''c''<sub>0</sub> has a place in physics. In one place. Optics. In case of refraction the phase velocity is used for calculations, because the phase of light is shifting constantly if travelling in a medium which is not vacuum. Every other area of physics is using the universal constant ''c'', which can be calculated using [[Maxwell's equations]]. By the way the [[Photon]] article also says "Photons are massless particles that always move at the speed of light when in vacuum." which is plain wrong. Photons are unable to travel slower then ''c''.
::::If you think that Wikipedia is correct in its current state, than I won't say anything more. [[User:Lustakutya|Lustakutya]] ([[User talk:Lustakutya|talk]]) 16:58, 20 May 2024 (UTC)
:::::I fixed the [[Photon]] article thanks. [[User:Johnjbarton|Johnjbarton]] ([[User talk:Johnjbarton|talk]]) 20:20, 20 May 2024 (UTC)
:::@[[User:Lustakutya|Lustakutya]] You asked that all occurences across Wikipedia to be changed. I think we better discuss a reference for your claim first. You pointed to one section, [[Speed of light#In a medium]], but it has sources so you need to explain why they should be removed. [[User:Johnjbarton|Johnjbarton]] ([[User talk:Johnjbarton|talk]]) 16:58, 20 May 2024 (UTC)
::::Understanding should be the key here. Please look at this [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTzGBJPuJwM video]. After watching it you will have the urge searching for references, too. [[User:Lustakutya|Lustakutya]] ([[User talk:Lustakutya|talk]]) 17:10, 20 May 2024 (UTC)
:::::That's a great video. But it's not news, sorry. It explains the atomic model of the index of refraction. Based on this video I recommend no changes. [[User:Johnjbarton|Johnjbarton]] ([[User talk:Johnjbarton|talk]]) 17:58, 20 May 2024 (UTC)


* In the literature:
The speed of light is approximately 300,000 kilometres per second; 186,000 miles per second; 671 million miles per hour.
::{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center"
The metric measurement should include 1.08 billion kilometres per hour, to be consistent with metric and imperial examples. [[User:Eiger3970|Eiger3970]] ([[User talk:Eiger3970|talk]]) 07:36, 5 September 2023 (UTC)
|-
! Google Search !! Scholar !! Books
|-
| "Speed of light in vacuum"
| [https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q={{urlencode:"Speed of light in vacuum"}} 67,400]
| [https://www.google.com/search?q={{urlencode:"Speed of light in vacuum"}}&tbm=bks 68,200]
|-
|}
: Getting rid of the term would be spectacularly against Wikipedia's mission. - [[User:DVdm|DVdm]] ([[User talk:DVdm|talk]]) 19:41, 20 May 2024 (UTC)


{{reflist-talk}}
== Is this part accurate in History? ==


:If the speed of light is always the same, then [[Cherenkov radiation]] shouldn't exist. [[User:AnonMoos|AnonMoos]] ([[User talk:AnonMoos|talk]]) 09:24, 21 May 2024 (UTC)
Quote:


:The existence of Cherenkov radiation is already mentioned at the end of {{section link|Speed of light#In a medium}}. <span style="box-shadow:2px 2px 6px #999">[[User:Dr Greg|<b style="color:#FFF8C0;background:#494">&nbsp;Dr&nbsp;Greg&nbsp;</b>]][[User talk:Dr Greg|<span style="color:#494;background:#FFF8C0">&nbsp;<small>talk</small>&nbsp;</span>]]</span> 10:16, 21 May 2024 (UTC)
'''Connections with electromagnetism'''


== Speed of light in literature ==
In the 19th century ''Hippolyte Fizeau'' developed a method to determine the speed of light based on time-of-flight measurements on Earth and reported a value of 315000 km/s (''704,634,932 m/h'').


I think there needs to be a section about speed of light in popular culture somewhere, namely the teleportation gimmick used areas like in Star Wars and Kingdom Hearts. The disambiguation mentions a few examples but not this article. [[User:Jordf32123|Jordf32123]] ([[User talk:Jordf32123|talk]]) 00:00, 15 October 2024 (UTC)
His method was improved upon by ''Léon Foucault'' who obtained a value of 298000 km/s (''666,607,015 m/h'') in 1862. [[User:Kailandosk|Kailandosk]] ([[User talk:Kailandosk|talk]]) 01:06, 18 November 2023 (UTC)


:Are you suggesting our article may not be correct or proposing that it include conversions to km/h at that point, and in either case, why? [[User:NebY|NebY]] ([[User talk:NebY|talk]]) 11:07, 18 November 2023 (UTC)
:We already have a page on [[Teleportation]] and one on [[Teleportation in fiction]] and on [[warp drive]]. [[User:Johnjbarton|Johnjbarton]] ([[User talk:Johnjbarton|talk]]) 01:32, 15 October 2024 (UTC)


::There's a definite discrepancy in number of significant digits between the quoted metric and traditional measurements... [[User:AnonMoos|AnonMoos]] ([[User talk:AnonMoos|talk]]) 13:10, 18 November 2023 (UTC)
:A fairly well-known old science-fiction story where the speed of light plays a prominent role is "[[The Xi Effect]]" by Philip Latham. The speed of light actually remains the same, but other things change, resulting in the doom of the universe... [[User:AnonMoos|AnonMoos]] ([[User talk:AnonMoos|talk]]) 07:41, 15 October 2024 (UTC)
:::Indeed, but the values in parentheses aren't in the article. If we wanted to include them, we could use {{tl|Convert}}, which would probably round them appropriately automatically, and wouldn't abbreviate miles to "m" either, but I don't see why we'd want to include such conversions in that part of the article anyway. [[User:NebY|NebY]] ([[User talk:NebY|talk]]) 13:46, 18 November 2023 (UTC)
::::I added the parenthesis. It's just a conversion to m/h that I made, just to show how different they are & to convert it into U.S. terms. [[User:Kailandosk|Kailandosk]] ([[User talk:Kailandosk|talk]]) 00:15, 24 December 2023 (UTC)
::I'm not sure if 315000 or 298000 km/s is correct. I feel it's 315000 km/s, but I'm not sure. [[User:Kailandosk|Kailandosk]] ([[User talk:Kailandosk|talk]]) 18:04, 25 November 2023 (UTC)

Latest revision as of 15:45, 8 November 2024

Featured articleSpeed of light is a featured article; it (or a previous version of it) has been identified as one of the best articles produced by the Wikipedia community. Even so, if you can update or improve it, please do so.
Main Page trophyThis article appeared on Wikipedia's Main Page as Today's featured article on October 29, 2004, and on August 16, 2022.
Article milestones
DateProcessResult
August 17, 2004Featured article candidatePromoted
December 7, 2008Featured article reviewDemoted
November 21, 2009Peer reviewReviewed
January 25, 2010Featured article candidateNot promoted
October 12, 2010Peer reviewReviewed
December 20, 2010Featured article candidatePromoted
March 19, 2022Featured article reviewKept
Current status: Featured article


Is this part accurate in History?

[edit]

Quote:

Connections with electromagnetism

In the 19th century Hippolyte Fizeau developed a method to determine the speed of light based on time-of-flight measurements on Earth and reported a value of 315000 km/s (704,634,932 m/h).

His method was improved upon by Léon Foucault who obtained a value of 298000 km/s (666,607,015 m/h) in 1862. Kailandosk (talk) 01:06, 18 November 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Are you suggesting our article may not be correct or proposing that it include conversions to km/h at that point, and in either case, why? NebY (talk) 11:07, 18 November 2023 (UTC)[reply]
There's a definite discrepancy in number of significant digits between the quoted metric and traditional measurements... AnonMoos (talk) 13:10, 18 November 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Indeed, but the values in parentheses aren't in the article. If we wanted to include them, we could use {{Convert}}, which would probably round them appropriately automatically, and wouldn't abbreviate miles to "m" either, but I don't see why we'd want to include such conversions in that part of the article anyway. NebY (talk) 13:46, 18 November 2023 (UTC)[reply]
I added the parenthesis. It's just a conversion to m/h that I made, just to show how different they are & to convert it into U.S. terms. Kailandosk (talk) 00:15, 24 December 2023 (UTC)[reply]
I'm not sure if 315000 or 298000 km/s is correct. I feel it's 315000 km/s, but I'm not sure. Kailandosk (talk) 18:04, 25 November 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Why not also include an accurate description of c in miles per second?

[edit]

186282.3970512 mi/s, to be fairly accurate.

Speed of light in vacuum

[edit]

Wikipedia should get rid of all occurrences of the phrase "speed of light in vacuum". There is only one speed of light, which is a universal constant. Also the speed of light doesn't change if not in vacuum. Group velocity represents the real speed of a photon, and that doesn't change. Only phase velocity is changing, causing the optical effects that mislead people. But this very article is explaining the same in the section Speed of light#In a medium. Lustakutya (talk) 13:24, 20 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

If you have a reference for your point of view please share it. Johnjbarton (talk) 15:15, 20 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]
@Johnjbarton shouldn't this work the other way around? I don't want to add anything. I want something to be removed which has no reference. Lustakutya (talk) 15:52, 20 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]
The article has rather a lot of mentions of the speed of light in vacuum that are supported by references to reliable sources. Merely in Speed of light#Numerical value, notation, and units, we have

Sometimes c is used for the speed of waves in any material medium, and c0 for the speed of light in vacuum.[1] This subscripted notation, which is endorsed in official SI literature[2] ....

I find the idea that we would deny the current definition of the metre rather disturbing. NebY (talk) 16:20, 20 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]
This is what I was talking about from the beginning. You are confusing two different concepts as well. c0 has a place in physics. In one place. Optics. In case of refraction the phase velocity is used for calculations, because the phase of light is shifting constantly if travelling in a medium which is not vacuum. Every other area of physics is using the universal constant c, which can be calculated using Maxwell's equations. By the way the Photon article also says "Photons are massless particles that always move at the speed of light when in vacuum." which is plain wrong. Photons are unable to travel slower then c.
If you think that Wikipedia is correct in its current state, than I won't say anything more. Lustakutya (talk) 16:58, 20 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]
I fixed the Photon article thanks. Johnjbarton (talk) 20:20, 20 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]
@Lustakutya You asked that all occurences across Wikipedia to be changed. I think we better discuss a reference for your claim first. You pointed to one section, Speed of light#In a medium, but it has sources so you need to explain why they should be removed. Johnjbarton (talk) 16:58, 20 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Understanding should be the key here. Please look at this video. After watching it you will have the urge searching for references, too. Lustakutya (talk) 17:10, 20 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]
That's a great video. But it's not news, sorry. It explains the atomic model of the index of refraction. Based on this video I recommend no changes. Johnjbarton (talk) 17:58, 20 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]
  • In the literature:
Google Search Scholar Books
"Speed of light in vacuum" 67,400 68,200
Getting rid of the term would be spectacularly against Wikipedia's mission. - DVdm (talk) 19:41, 20 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

References

  1. ^ See, for example:
    • Lide, D. R. (2004). CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics. CRC Press. pp. 2–9. ISBN 978-0-8493-0485-9.
    • Harris, J. W.; et al. (2002). Handbook of Physics. Springer. p. 499. ISBN 978-0-387-95269-7.
    • Whitaker, J. C. (2005). The Electronics Handbook. CRC Press. p. 235. ISBN 978-0-8493-1889-4.
    • Cohen, E. R.; et al. (2007). Quantities, Units and Symbols in Physical Chemistry (3rd ed.). Royal Society of Chemistry. p. 184. ISBN 978-0-85404-433-7.
  2. ^ International Bureau of Weights and Measures (2006), The International System of Units (SI) (PDF) (8th ed.), p. 112, ISBN 92-822-2213-6, archived (PDF) from the original on 2021-06-04, retrieved 2021-12-16
If the speed of light is always the same, then Cherenkov radiation shouldn't exist. AnonMoos (talk) 09:24, 21 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]
The existence of Cherenkov radiation is already mentioned at the end of Speed of light § In a medium.  Dr Greg  talk  10:16, 21 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Speed of light in literature

[edit]

I think there needs to be a section about speed of light in popular culture somewhere, namely the teleportation gimmick used areas like in Star Wars and Kingdom Hearts. The disambiguation mentions a few examples but not this article. Jordf32123 (talk) 00:00, 15 October 2024 (UTC)[reply]

We already have a page on Teleportation and one on Teleportation in fiction and on warp drive. Johnjbarton (talk) 01:32, 15 October 2024 (UTC)[reply]
A fairly well-known old science-fiction story where the speed of light plays a prominent role is "The Xi Effect" by Philip Latham. The speed of light actually remains the same, but other things change, resulting in the doom of the universe... AnonMoos (talk) 07:41, 15 October 2024 (UTC)[reply]