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Question
The metre is defined as the distance travelled by light in `1/(299,792,458)` second. Why didn't people choose some easier number such as `1/(300,000,000)` second? Why not 1 second?
Solution
The speed of light in vacuum is 299,792,458 m/s.
Then time taken by light to cover a distance of 1 metre in vacuum =`1/(299 ,792 ,458` S
Hence, the metre is defined as the distance travelled by light in `1/(299, 792, 458)` S
As 300,000,000 m/s is an approximate speed of light in vacuum, it cannot be used to define the metre.
The distance travelled by light in one second is 299,792,458 m. This is a large quantity and cannot be used as a base unit. So, the metre is not defined in terms of second.
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