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What is space-time? (1 Viewer)

zenger69

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A question in my half yearly asked me "What is space-time".

I wrote "Space (as in length,width and height) and time is both dependent on each other in special relativity. Where space and time are seen are two parts of the whole".

Is that definition adequate? Does anyone have a better definition because I'm just writing up my syllabus summariese?
 

currysauce

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Space-time is the 4 dimension world we live in i think.

x,y,z axis and then time.
 

Ghost1788

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currysauce said:
Space-time is the 4 dimension world we live in i think.

x,y,z axis and then time.
adding on...
without space there is no time, without time ther is no space

i think space-time refers the the space-time continum refered to by einstein as a 'grid' which is bent and distorted by large objects and their gravitational field.

tip if you wanna get a feel for it all watch the Elegant Universe i forget the presenters name, i think it was brian greene anyways... yeah
 

wanton-wonton

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Ghost1788 said:
i think space-time refers the the space-time continum refered to by einstein as a 'grid' which is bent and distorted by large objects and their gravitational field.
The stuff you're talking about is the General Theory of Relativity and is not in the syllabus.

Space-time is a four-dimensional system consisting of three spatial coordinates and one for time, in which it is possible to locate events.
 

Ghost1788

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Ok wanton-wonton your right, just to clear up any confusion

Excel HSC Physics said:
FOUR DIMENSIONAL SPACE-TIME
in 1907 the German mathematician H. Minkowski provided a mathematical treatment of Special Relativity. He realised that events (that is, some happenning or occurence) required four numbers to uniquely define them. Three of these numbers locate where the event happened in space: they are the x, y, z coordinates of Cartesian geometry; the fourth number describes when the event occured -this is time

Space and time comprise a single four-dimensional continuum--space-time
zenger69 check the text book as well before you ask and also try charles stuart HSC online they have syllabus summaries if u need to refer to them for a fair number of courses
 

Jase

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Space-time is in the syllabus?

it's a concept in relativity where 3 dimensional space and time are treated as a single object of 4 dimensional geometry, and can be defined with cartesian coordinates in form (x, y, z , t).. anything beyond that would be beyond the course right?
 

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