Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

light cone

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.82 in modern English

Syllables: light -cone
IPA

15

Scrabble Score

9

Letters

2

Syllables

9

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

In special relativity, the pattern describing the temporal evolution of a flash of light in Minkowski spacetime. This is modeled in 3-space using the two horizontal axes as spatial dimensions, while the vertical axis is time.

noun

A (realized or imagined) data visualization of possible sets of future outcomes that is analogous to such a cone.

noun

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see light, cone.

Example Sentences

"This gives the future light cone of the event. Similarly, you can define the past light cone—as the history of a spherical shell of light converging in on the event. All these spatial spheres, past and future, represent cross-sections through the space–time light cone, […]"

Inflected Forms

light cones (plural) lightcone (alternative)

Questions

What does light cone mean?: In special relativity, the pattern describing the temporal evolution of a flash of light in Minkowski spacetime. This is modeled in 3-space using the two horizontal axes as spatial dimensions, while the vertical axis is time.

How to pronounce light cone

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