Electromagnetic Waves and Wave Optics: c = 1/√(μ₀ε₀) MCQ

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c = 1/√(μ₀ε₀)HardQuestion 20196

Question

Maxwell derived the speed of EM waves in vacuum as c = 1/√(μ₀ε₀). Numerically this gives:

A
3×10⁶ m/s
B
3×10⁸ m/s confirming light is an EM wave
Correct
C
3×10¹⁰ m/s
D
c depends on frequency

Correct answer

3×10⁸ m/s confirming light is an EM wave

Explanation

1/√(μ₀ε₀) = 1/√(4π×10⁻⁷ × 8.854×10⁻¹²) ≈ 3×10⁸ m/s. This agreed with the measured speed of light and led Maxwell to conclude that light itself is an electromagnetic wave — one of the greatest unifications in physics.

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