Time and Clocks

question 1:

What means a Clock ?

question 2:

What means time ?

question 3:

What means proper time?

question 4:

What means imaginary time?

question 5:

What means the arrow of time?

question 6:

Can we go backwards in time ?

question 7:

Do all Clocks behave the same?

Purpose

In Relativity Theory the concept of space and spacetime are very important.
The purpose of this question is to find out what is the definition of time
and if there is a difference between what we call time and a clock.
In order to get a better idea what is involved with time and clocks first try the following:
A Small Experiment to study Time and Clocks

There is also a program around this question. To get a copy select:TIMEX.BAS


Description

In order to describe the reality we define 3 dimensions: length, broad and width.
In more mathematical sense those 3 dimensions are called: x, y and z.


Answer question 1

A clock is physical object and is something that exists in time.
A clock measures time.
Clocks are what you can call a cyclic process.
A cyclic process is a process that repeats itself.
A clock is a very simple cyclic process.
A Planet around the Sun is also an example of a cyclic process.
Human life in total is also a cyclic process. It starts with birth and it finishes with dead.

Answer question 2

Time is not something that exists.
Time is inseparable linked with existence.
Physical objects and clocks exist in time.
All over the universe there is the same time, the same now.

Answer question 3

The simulations of all the five programs are done in Proper Time.
Proper Time is an artificial time.

Answer question 4

Imaginary time is like imaginary numbers; something that identifies something that does not exist.
Imaginary numbers i and -i are the solution of the equation: r * r = -1
It is the opinion of the author that understanding of how the reality works imaginary time is not required.

Answer question 5

None

Answer question 6

No

If there exists an equation that describes backward travelling in time than I would like to see:

  1. A definition of what is backward travelling in time.
  2. A description of a test or experiment that describes backward travelling in time.
  3. The results of this test.
  4. If that is not possible than the equation is either: wrong or does not describe backward travelling in time or describes something in the past.

Answer question 7

No.
All processes, including clocks influence each other and are influenced by the speed they have.
The central question is what are the rules or laws that describe this behaviour.


A Small Experiment to study Time and Clocks

Consider a rather long rope and a stick.
One end of the rope you connect to a fixed point; the ceiling.
At the other end you connect the stick; nicely balanced in the middle.
Now you turn the stick a couple of times and you let the stick loose. What will happen ? The stick will start to move and to rotate in the opposite direction as you moved the stick. First slowly, then quicker and quicker, then slower and finally the stick will stop and move in the other direction.First slowly, then quicker and quicker, then slower and finally the stick will stop and move in the other direction. etc. etc.
If you you from above (or below) the moving stick looks like a clock; a very special clock.
First this clock moves in one direction and then stops. Then the clock moves in the opposite direction and stops. Then the clock again moves in the original direction and stops. You could call that: this clock first moves forward, then moves backward and then again moves forward etc etc.
(In a certain sense you can even say: that this an example of a clock within a clock !)

However can you say that the same thing happened with what we call time? Did the time move forward, backward and sometimes stop ?

If you want to study TIME in more detail please try the following:http://www.touroftime.com/


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Last modified: 26 August 1999

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