Example 1.1: The thickness of a human hair is about 40 μ m.

Compare its dimension to the wavelength

of green light.

Solution: The wavelength of green light is around 500 nm, therefore, the thickness a human hair is about
80 times the wavelength of the green light.

Example 1.2:Calculate the speed of light from the values of μ o and ε o. Also find the speed of light in
water and in glass.

Solution: Values of the constants are:

μ o = 4 π x10-7 J s2 C-2 m-1 and ε o = 8.854188 x 10-12 J-1C2 m-1

Therefore, o o 1 c με = = 2.9979 m s-1.