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The speed of light (and all other forms of electromagnetic radiation) in vacuum is determined by
the electrostatic permittivity (ε0) and magnetic permeability (μ0) of free space.

An interesting thought ... we have no way of knowing whether these physical constants are the same
numbers today that they have always been. If either of them has changed since the birth of the universe,
then the speed of light changed, and our observations of the earliest cosmos give an erroneous number
for the age of the universe.

But anyway, that's what these quantities are today, and they're what determines the speed of light,
as is so neatly predicted by Maxwell's equations and verified spot-on by the best measurements.

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15y ago

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More answers

The speed of light in a vacuum is determined by fundamental physical constants, specifically the permittivity and permeability of free space. It is a universal constant, denoted as "c," with a value of approximately 299,792,458 meters per second.

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10mo ago
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Q: Speed of light in a vacuum is determined by what?
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