What is time?

Question

Is it a dimension or merely a measurement tool? If it is a tool of measurement does it only reside within human consciousness?

Answer 1

Time has long been a major subject of philosophy, art, poetry, and science. Though dictionaries present some (varied) definitions of time (some of which are presented below), it is difficult to provide an uncontroversial definition because there are widely divergent views about its meaning, and concerns about whether there are any simpler terms with which to define it. Scholars also disagree on whether time itself can be measured or is itself part of the measuring system. To avoid these definitional problems, many fields use an operational definition in which only the units of measurement are defined.

The measurement of time has also occupied scientists and technologists, and was a prime motivation in astronomy. Time is also a matter of significant social importance, having economic value ("time is money") as well as personal value, due to an awareness of the limited time in each day and in our lives. Units of time have been agreed upon to quantify the duration of events and the intervals between them. Regularly recurring events and objects with apparent periodic motion have long served as standards for units of time. Examples are the apparent motion of the sun across the sky, the phases of the moon, and the swing of a pendulum.

Time has historically been closely related with space, most obviously with spacetime in Einstein's general relativity.

Answer 2

Without getting bogged down in the physics as some of our colleagues tend to do:

Simply put, time is the physical dimension that keeps everything from happening at the same instance just like space is the physical dimension that keeps everything from being in the same place.

No two things can be in the same space at the same time. Notice that the words space and time seem to always go together?

Answer 3

You have to define it relative to some periodic motion. If there's no periodic motion you can see, then there's no way to measure time. Of course, there's plenty of oscillating things around you to mark time with.

Here's something to think about - say you have a universe with one particle in it. How can you tell where it is, or whether it is moving? Can you mark time with one particle?

Here's another thing to think about - if what we see is a hyperplane, moving through some higher dimensional space, how does that hyperplane move from one place to the next? Why would it need to move? How would you know whether that hyperplane was even flat? If the hyperplane is oscillating, how would you define time for all points in the hyperplane? Perhaps parts of the hyperplane could be moving "backwards", or sideways, even, negating the concept of linear time. Maybe parts of the hyperplane are folded back on itself.

Answer 4

Time is an abstract entity which, to us, exists as a method or standard in which we are able to define and measure the changes that take place in the universe.

And, yes, I know this answer seems more philosophical than physics-related...But it's the best I could give...

Answer 5

It is the constant physical quantity, which measures all the physical quantities in the universe which can be converted from one form to another. Time is the only thing which remains unaltered in any circumstances of the universe & gives value for the changing quantities.

Answer 6

if x,y and z axes are the 3 dimensions then time is the 4th dimension.even time is not constant,it has different speeds at different places in the universe that is 1sec at 1 place can be 1 hr at other place in universe.

Answer 7

Physical time is a velocity. It is the velocity of 'c", that is the basis of all physical and energy structures. There is a frequency trilogy that describes physical time, in unifying the value of energy to that of mass. It is:

hf = E, this is the means by which the energy value of electromagnetic energy is determined. The greater the amount of frequency waves in a given distance, the greater the energy of the photon. The less the number of waves, the less the energy.

hf = mk, is the expression for kinetic energy contained within a moving mass. Mass is comprised of electromagnetic energy and is subject to the same law concerning waveform and energy. As a mass moves, the frequency in direction increases. This happens at the expense of energy (hf) at right angles to direction of travel. As example of this, consider a mass moving at the speed of light, minus 2 ft./sec. Almost all the energy contained within the mass is in direction of movement. What energy potential is available becomes negligible.

It becomes obvious why it is that physical time moves closer to zero as a mass nears the speed of light - there is little to no energy potential at right angles to direction of travel. A mass moving to the speed of light would convert directly into electromagnetic energy, and there would be no energy potential at right angles to direction of travel. Physical time would become zero.

hf = c, is the value for gravitational waves. The equation for a field of time is that of, c2 = E/m. This last equation shows that the value of "c" is an energy value and has intensity of field according to the mass energy relationship.

Lastly, physical time moves, also, from present time to past time at the speed of light. Again, this is because mass is composed of this value. Were there to be any form of existence in our universe, and were it not subject to movement of present into past values, then that form of existence would cease to exist to us.

Answer 8

There's a thery of that the time is a line containing many freezed moments(many "now"-s) and they are continuing to multiply cos of the components of the previous moment untill the infinity

Answer 9

anybody is slightly different some adult males have difficulty ending the act. maximum adult males that say they are able to final for hours are telling thoughts or particularly stressful the females that they are with. many times in case you carry out to long you will lose your erection and not *** in any respect.

Answer 10

I stand by my school definition.
"Time is a measure of that which changes."
I haven't found a better definition yet.