Difference between translation and uniform motion

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SUMMARY

The discussion clarifies the distinction between translational motion and uniform motion, emphasizing that they are not synonymous. Translational motion refers to a constant offset in coordinates between two observers, while uniform motion involves a time-varying offset due to relative speeds. This differentiation is crucial for understanding concepts in physics, particularly in the context of Galilean transformations as outlined in the provided Wikipedia link. The laws of physics apply uniformly across different spatial coordinates in translational motion and across varying speeds in uniform motion.

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Pushoam
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yes by the looks of it the basis of uniform motion was from his translational veiw of space and time and how a ball will go through uniform acceleration on a ramp.
 
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Zach S said:
yes by the looks of it the basis of uniform motion was from his translational veiw of spacd and tims and how a ball will go through uniform acceleration on a ramp.
Then, why does wikipedia treat translation and uniform motion differently?
 
Pushoam said:
Then, why does wikipedia treat translation and uniform motion differently?
translation is needed to describe uniform motion a movement through space and time not exactly the same but is needed to describe uniform motion
 
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o.k.
Thank you.
 
In the notation they are using, translation is the relationship between the coordinates used by me and the guy sat next to me. Uniform motion is the relationship between the coordinates used by me and someone sitting in a passing train.

In the first case, the difference between the coordinates is just a constant offset. If I say something is at ##x=-1## (i.e. 1m to my left), the other guy says it's at ##x'=-2## (i.e. 2m to his left). That is true for all times.

In the second case, the difference between the coordinates is a time-varying offset. If the train is moving at speed v past me, I say that the passenger is at ##x=vt## at time t. However the passenger regards herself as at rest at ##x''=0##, and me as moving at -v, so I am at ##x''=-vt##.

That's the difference. The first one leads to "the laws of physics are the same at all places" and the second to "the laws of physics are the same at all speeds".
 
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