Brain Storming - Time and Distance

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the relationships between physical constants expressed in terms of energy, time, and distance, exploring concepts such as acceleration, frequency, and their derivatives. Participants engage in a brainstorming session to propose names and meanings for various terms derived from these dimensions.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants suggest that the term for L/T^3 could be called "jerk," while others humorously reference various names for derivatives of acceleration.
  • There is a claim that there is no upper limit to acceleration, while another participant suggests that acceleration could be limited under certain conditions.
  • Participants propose that 1/L could be referred to as "wavenumber," while others suggest it might relate to speed.
  • Inverse speed (T/L) and its potential physical meaning is debated, with some asserting that everything has a physical meaning, including inverse acceleration.
  • One participant raises a question about the conservation of (m/s)^3, suggesting a need for further exploration through problem-solving.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the limits of acceleration and the naming of various derivatives, indicating that multiple competing views remain. The discussion does not reach a consensus on these points.

Contextual Notes

Some claims about the derivatives of acceleration and their physical meanings are not universally accepted, and the discussion includes various assumptions about the nature of time and distance in relation to special relativity.

AntonVrba
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Many physical constant can be expressed in terms of Energy, Time [T] and Distance [L].

Now some basic qestions for a brain storming session.

1. if acceleration is L/T^2 then what name would you give the next term L/T^3 ?

2. if the speed of light is the maximum speed is there also a limit to the acceleartion L/T^2, L/T^3 and L/T^4 etc.

3. if frequency is 1/T then what is and what name would you give 1/L ?

4. similarly has inverse speed T/L or better T/L^2 any physical meaning, or am I just stretching my abstract mind a bit too far.

regards and have fun
 
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1. Change in speed is acceleration, change in acceleration is jerk, change in a jerk is a snap, change in a crackle, change in a crackle is a pop. Those silly physicists... spagettification, branes, swiss meatballs, cereal related technical names...

And in England a jerk is also referred to as something else I believe, but its more common to say its a jerk.
2. Yes, of course relatively.
3. Speed, I would say. 1 something per time amount, let's say second. That sounds like Frequency. 1 something per distance unit, that sound like speed.
4. Well, pretty much everything has a physical meaning, including inverse acceleration. Just look at the 336,000 results I got on google.
 
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1) I believe it's called Jerk, like jerking a rope.
2) There is NO upper limit to acceleration.
3) 1/L -> Wavenumber is the closest concept I think.
4) You can always make a situation where it is assigned
physical meaning.

Keep stretching. You're doing well.
 
Acceleration is not limited, feel free to accelerate at a trillion meters per second /second (for a time far shorter than a second, of course).

similarly has inverse speed T/L or better T/L^2 any physical meaning, or am I just stretching my abstract mind a bit too far.

If we believe in time as passing at an absolute rate, it is obvious why we would measure distance L relative to a standard T. Because of special relativity, it is speed that is absolute (neither distance or time pass at an absolute rate) so we can convert meters equivalently to seconds.
 
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No the derivative of acceleration is surge, then its jerk I am not aware what the 5th derivative of position is.
 
Interesting, these signs made me think:

if the sum of all the momentums is conserved (m/s)
and the sum of all energies is conserved (m/s)^2
can we deduce that the sum of all (m/s)^3 is conserved? I suppose I should probably just try a few problems and see if the before/after match up after solving using momentum and energy conservation.
 
BigStelly said:
No the derivative of acceleration is surge, then its jerk I am not aware what the 5th derivative of position is.

According, to http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/encyclopedia/d/de/derivative.htm jerk IS the first derivative of acceleration. No one really cares what the rest are, there's a point where it's only used for math anyway, and doesn't get applied.

Oh, and to #3, I would call it inverse distance.
 
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