Exploring the Concept of Time - Madian's Thoughts

In summary, the concept of time is difficult to define and understand, as it is a fundamental property of the universe that helps us measure the sequence of events. Some believe that time does not exist as an independent entity, but rather is intertwined with everything around us. Language may also play a role in our understanding of time. Ultimately, there is not a strict definition of time and it remains a complex and debated topic.
  • #1
honor3
6
0
What is time? What is the definition of time? What is this concept of time?
Hey all, I asked my Physics teacher and many friends what time is, and non of them had a thought about it, Such a simple question yet difficult to answer. I would like to read your thoughts about time and your answers of the definition of time .

Thanks for the time.
Madian.
 
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  • #2
The best definition I've heard is :

"time is that property of the Universe which prevents everything from happening all at once".
joking.
 
  • #3
try wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time

basically says that time is a way of measuing a sequence of events...

im sure there are people on here with a more profound answer than that though =]
 
  • #4
Lol, yes I've read some answers for different questions and thought that people hear would most likely as you have said have more profound answers.
Its just a kool thing time, simple yet a lot of people cannot answer it, if they do they ask themselves, how? why? can it be? and its funny and interesting to c the debates that occur. One physicist so far has this "My basic idea is that time as such does not exist. There is no invisible river of time. But there are things that you could call instants of time, or "Nows".
 
  • #5
The form of the question presupposes an answer of the form "Time is such and such a thing." What if the word 'time' does not refer to a thing and it is only the grammar of our language which misleads us to think that every noun is a person, place, or thing. If we examine ordinary language, we see that the meaning of the word 'time' is determined by its use, so perhaps a more neutral question would be "under what circumstances is it correct to use the word 'time' ?"
 
  • #6
My opinion is that to find out what is time, look at how time is measured.

For example in a mechanical clock, time is measured by the hands pointing at a dot, then at the next instant at another dot. Maybe that is called a second. So a second is really just saying that "The hands of my clock has moved from a dot to the next dot."

Hence when I want to measure velocity, I take the displacement of something per whatever unit of time I chosen. In other words, when I say that a particle moves 1 m/s, I am saying the particle moves 1m as the hands of my clock move the distance between one dot to another dot. In this way, it is clear that velocities are dimensionless.

And because the hands of my clock move only in a direction, my time according to my clock is always in one direction.
 
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  • #7
too put it simple the duration of between two points
 
  • #8
it feels like we use different concepts of "time"
i think the classical time is the one we all know and love. its the same doesn't change. we all feel comfortable using time in that sense. i think gr, sr and all the recent break throughs in the in past 100 years have kind of screwed our meaning of time up. something that was once so set in stone that what we all knew was right was wrong?
we always imagined time as an independant factor and i think its hard for us to visulise time being parrt of everything around us.
so maybe there is not strict definition of time? and i agree with confinement in the sense that language is an issue with time. maybe foir the points iv said above..
=]
 
  • #10
Its hard to say what time is, we all perceive time and its there. If you think of it in terms of the 4th dimension, the time taken for a resistor capacitor circuit to discharge is 0.69RC, which is a line through the 4th dimension. It’s also been said that if you were on a line representing time you would be walking along it (into the future) but looking backwards.
 

1. What is the concept of time?

The concept of time is a philosophical and scientific concept that refers to the measurement of duration and the sequence of events. It is a fundamental aspect of the universe that allows us to perceive and experience the passing of moments.

2. How do we measure time?

Time is measured using various units such as seconds, minutes, hours, days, years, and so on. These units are based on the Earth's rotation and orbit around the sun. Other methods of measuring time include using atomic clocks and the speed of light.

3. Is time a human construct?

There is ongoing debate about whether time is a human construct or a fundamental aspect of the universe. Some argue that time is a human invention to make sense of the world around us, while others believe that it is a real and tangible entity that exists even without human perception.

4. Can time be manipulated?

According to Einstein's theory of relativity, time can be manipulated by changing the speed at which an object moves or by being in a strong gravitational field. Time dilation, where time appears to pass slower for objects in motion, is a well-documented phenomenon that supports this idea.

5. What are some theories about the nature of time?

There are various theories about the nature of time, including the block universe theory, which suggests that past, present, and future all exist simultaneously. The theory of eternalism proposes that time is a dimension similar to space and that all moments in time exist simultaneously. The growing block theory suggests that the past and present are fixed, but the future is constantly being created.

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