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LIGHT-SPEED/LIGHT-TIME

light moves at 300 000 kilometres a second

the speed of light is a constant and when used with planck's constant and newton's gravity light-speed can be used with confidence to explain and understand much of our experience of reality

example 1

the planet mars is sixty four million kilometres from the earth

sixty four million kilometres divded by three hundred thousand kilometres equals two hundred and thirteen seconds at the speed of light

two hundred and thirteen seconds is three and a half minutes

travelling at the speed of light it would take three and a half minutes to go from the earth to mars

example 2

the gathering place is 50 light years away

travelling at one third of the speed of it would take 150 years to get there

this entry was formed in an attempt to simplify the unnecessarily complicated terminology in use in the sciences

see also poincares' theory of relativity