Which option lists the correct speed of light in a vacuum?

Which option lists the correct speed of light in a vacuum?

• A. 3.00 x 10^6 m/s
• B. 3.00 x 10^4 m/s
• C. 3.00 x 10^8 m/s
• D. 3.00 x 10^12 m/s

Answer: (C)

The speed of light in a vacuum is a universal constant, about 3.00 x 10^8 meters per second (precisely 299,792,458 m/s). This value is the standard approximation used in problems because light travels at this speed in empty space regardless of the source or its frequency. The other options are far off: 3.00 x 10^6 m/s and 3.00 x 10^4 m/s are orders of magnitude slower than c, and 3.00 x 10^12 m/s would exceed any physically possible speed, conflicting with fundamental physics.

The speed of light in a vacuum is a universal constant, about 3.00 x 10^8 meters per second (precisely 299,792,458 m/s). This value is the standard approximation used in problems because light travels at this speed in empty space regardless of the source or its frequency. The other options are far off: 3.00 x 10^6 m/s and 3.00 x 10^4 m/s are orders of magnitude slower than c, and 3.00 x 10^12 m/s would exceed any physically possible speed, conflicting with fundamental physics.