General question about how objects move nature (discrete or continuous?)

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the nature of object movement in physics, particularly in relation to game development and real-life motion. The user, a game developer, observes that in a 2D physics engine, objects can appear to "skip" spaces based on their speed, prompting questions about whether real-world objects move in a similar manner. The consensus is that while classical physics treats motion as continuous, there are theories suggesting a discrete nature of space-time. This dichotomy raises questions about the fundamental mechanics of motion and the implications for high-speed interactions between objects.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of classical mechanics and motion
  • Familiarity with 2D physics engines, such as Unity or Box2D
  • Basic knowledge of space-time concepts in physics
  • Awareness of theories regarding discrete vs. continuous space-time
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the principles of classical mechanics and motion equations
  • Explore the workings of 2D physics engines like Unity's Rigidbody component
  • Study the concept of space-time in physics, focusing on continuous vs. discrete theories
  • Investigate the implications of high-speed motion and relativistic effects on object interactions
USEFUL FOR

Game developers, physicists, and anyone interested in the fundamental principles of motion and the implications of speed on object interactions.

Anton Velmozhniy
Hello everyone! I hope I write in right forum branch. The reason is that I have a question in my mind for a while. Maybe you can help to understand it.

So, I am game developer, and one time I was using 2d physics engine to simulate motion in game. And I found out that in that engine, for example, 2 objects exist. First object moves with speed X and second with X*2. In this simulation second object just skips 2 times space at a time. And i was curios, is the same thing heppens in real life?

Is it any smallest step that moving objects do? And how are objects move, in basic level? Do they teleport a bit forward? If some object moves 2 times faster then another object is he doing more steps or is he doing jumps for more length? Is it possible for objects to get past each other in great speed if they are doing greater step in movement?

I mean I see how objects moves every day. But how are they doing it on basic level?

I hope I dies not sound very stupid and I hope you will answer.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
As far is as known, and certainly as far as we can measure, the belief is that space-time is continuous, not discrete but there ARE those who think otherwise.
 

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