Hippolyte Fizeau

Hippolyte Fizeau was a French physicist known for his pioneering work in measuring the speed of light. In 1849, he conducted an experiment where he used a rotating mirror and a beam of light to determine how fast light travels. His measurements helped confirm that light travels at a finite speed, approximately 300,000 kilometers per second, supporting the idea that light moves through space rather than instantaneously. Fizeau's work was fundamental in advancing our understanding of optics and contributed to the development of modern physics and communication technologies.