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The Speed of Light Squared

In the equation E = mc2 “c” is the constant for the speed of light. Further, that value (3 x 108 km / sec.) is squared. What does it mean to square a speed? In one sense you’d get an area with a rate. The series of illustrations below attempts to visualizes this.

Particle
Particle

Photon as a particle. It is at rest. In an energized state it has motion represented below by the side to side motion.

Particle

If we now send this vibrating particle off in a direction it will seem to form a wave.

Wave form from particle

If the we imagine that the amplitude of the wave are boundaries then we can form an area, shown in blue.

C Squared

While even I suspect that this isn’t what’s going on down there in Quantum Land this does serve as a conceptualization for how a photon can have an area with a rate while still retaining the the essential quantum wave and particle duality.

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