The p is probably Latin potentia or French puissance, but I'm not sure about the... | Hacker News

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schoen on July 29, 2023 | parent | context | favorite | on: Why is c the symbol for the speed of light? (1997)

The p is probably Latin potentia or French puissance, but I'm not sure about the f!

jewillco on July 29, 2023 | [–]

https://mathoverflow.net/a/23258 claims it is from Latin “festinatio.”

Telemakhos on July 29, 2023 | [–]

The p stands for impetus; i was already used for inertia, and m is in the same equation for mass, so p was the next best letter to use.

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