3 ms·
This is a mostly incorrect approximation of the concept, but I think the visual representation is useful. Think of an object's "velocity" as a unit vector in a
by munchbunny 8y ago
This is a mostly incorrect approximation of the concept, but I think the visual representation is useful.
Think of an object's "velocity" as a unit vector in a 2d circle. X axis is fraction of C(meter/second), Y axis is rate of time passage (seconds/second).
Every object no matter how slow moving has a velocity on the unit circle. An object that isn't moving is moving forward in time at the same rate as you, the observer. But an object that is moving very quickly moves much more slowly through time than you do as the observer.
So the key distinction is that time is not a fixed reference, it's subjective depending on who is watching.
- garmaine 8y agoThis isn’t an incorrect approximation. It’s exactly how relativity was taught in my upper division physics class in college. General relativity basically starts with the assumption that everyone is moving through space-time at the speed of light. We sedentary material beings experience that mostly as moving through the dimension of time. Non material things like photons experience it as moving through space (because they lack inertia). When you accelerate to high speeds, you’re somewhere between the two extremes.