Space & Time: How Are They Related?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the relationship between space and time, specifically in the context of a research project. Participants explore questions regarding the visualization of warping space and time, the potential for altering the topography of space without affecting time, and the mechanisms behind such distortions.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Homework-related
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants inquire about the differentiation between warping space and time, seeking visual or conceptual representations.
  • There is a question regarding whether the topography of space can be altered independently of time, with some participants suggesting this may be possible.
  • Participants discuss the implications of space and time distortion, questioning the conditions under which such alterations can occur.
  • One participant suggests resources, including the "Parable of the Surveyor" from Taylor & Wheeler's "Space-time Physics," to aid in understanding these concepts.
  • Another participant emphasizes the importance of Minkowski spacetime diagrams for visualizing the relationship between space and time in a more advanced context.
  • There is a clarification regarding the intended academic level of the inquiry, with a participant noting the initial indication of a high school physics context.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express varying levels of familiarity with the topic, and while some agree on the usefulness of specific resources, there is no consensus on the answers to the fundamental questions posed. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the nature of space and time alterations.

Contextual Notes

Participants have not yet provided specific examples or detailed explanations of the concepts discussed. The questions posed depend on definitions of space and time that may not be universally agreed upon.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be of interest to students and researchers exploring the fundamental concepts of space and time, particularly in the context of relativity and theoretical physics.

D0rk_L0rd
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TL;DR
I need help with my Research Project, specifically these 3 questions:
“What does warping space or time individually look like, and how can they be differentiated?”
“Can the topography of space be altered without changing the flow of time (even to a limited extent), or vice versa?”
“If space or time can (or cannot) be distorted in this way, how can (or why can’t) it be done?”
All help is welcome!
 
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D0rk_L0rd said:
Summary:: I need help with my Research Project, specifically these 3 questions:
“What does warping space or time individually look like, and how can they be differentiated?”
“Can the topography of space be altered without changing the flow of time (even to a limited extent), or vice versa?”
“If space or time can (or cannot) be distorted in this way, how can (or why can’t) it be done?”

All help is welcome!
What have you found out so far? E.g. Wikipedia has probably a lot to say about these questions. And what do you know about special relativity? The speed of light connects the two.
 
Hi @D0rk_L0rd , welcome to PF!

This question is sufficiently advanced that we will leave it here rather than in the homework section, but we don't just do people's homework for them here. We require that you show your own effort. We will help you take the next step from there.
 
If you don't have a reading list for your project, I will suggest looking at "Parable of the Surveyor" in "Space-time physics", which is the first chapter in Taylor & Wheeler's undergraduate special relativity textbook, "Space-time Physics". The first several chapters of the first edition are available free online at the author's website, at http://www.eftaylor.com/pub/stp/STP1stEdThruP20.pdf. This is the link to the actual download of the specific chapter I recommend, the top level of the website is http://www.eftaylor.com/.
 
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I'll strongly second @pervect's recommendation of the Taylor and Wheeler book. You should also learn about Minkowski spacetime diagrams: the basic idea is that if an obect is moving along the x-axis you can plot its position at any given time on an x-t graph.

I do see that you started this thread with a B tag, indicating that you want answers appropriate for a high school physics class instead of a college-level one (algebra and trig but no calculus; no electromagnetic theory). Is this what you intended, or should we be pointing you at some more advanced sources as well?
 

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