Question

Note: the lab itself is on webassign. this is so you can check your answers during lab without waiting for your lab instructor to check each one. you should do the prelab before lab but do not do the lab itself before lab. what is c in meters per nanosecond?

m/ns

Answer 1

The speed of light c is roughly 3 x 10^8 m/s and by converting the time unit to nanoseconds, c is 0.3 m/ns. This conversion is crucial in physics problems involving light or electromagnetic phenomenon, emphasizing the importance of dimensional analysis and unit conversions in scientific calculations.

Step-by-step explanation:

The speed of light, represented as c, is a fundamental physical constant and is used frequently in physics and engineering calculations. Expressing c in different units than the standard meters per second (m/s) involves conversion factors. To find the value of c in meters per nanosecond (m/ns), we must consider the conversion between seconds and nanoseconds. Since there are 1 billion (109) nanoseconds in one second, c, which is approximately 3 x 108 m/s, can be converted to m/ns by dividing by 109. This calculation yields a value for c as 0.3 m/ns.

To put these concepts into practice, if a problem required us to convert a distance expressed in nanometers (nm) to meters, for instance, 589 nm, we would use the conversion factor that 1 nm is equal to 10-9 meters. Similarly, when working with the permeability (μo) and permittivity of free space (εo), the correct units must be employed to ensure that the equation for c, c = √(μoεo), gives a result in m/s. Understanding these units and conversions is essential for verifying that calculated values are reasonable and correctly scaled.