What is Time in Physics?
By:
Arda Altunel
Sep 22, 2022 - 12:28
Einstein and Time
Newtonian physics, which was valid until the time of Einstein, treats space-time separately, accepting time as absolute for every point of the universe, and says that time is independent of all reference systems. Einstein predicted that this concept might be wrong even in those days. He thinks that there may be a Decoupling point between the speed of light and time. He tries to support this idea with examples.
Einstein, who thinks that he is near a clock tower, assumes that the tower indicates 12. The fact that the clock shows exactly 12 means that the light rays are reflected first to the clock tower and from there to Einstein's eye. But he realizes that the light rays always carry the same information (the knowledge that it is 12 o'clock) during the entire time interval along the path that he took when he was December in the clock tower and came to Einstein's eyes. Proceeding from this point, he comes to the conclusion that time has stopped for the rays of light. In this thought of Einstein, who thought, "If I traveled on that ray of light, how would I see the world?", the infrastructure of the theory of relativity, which he would find many years later, began to form.
The time that human beings can observe consists of the speed of light, in other words, the speed of light is the point at which time stops. As we move, we slow down time. Albert Einstein said that the relationship of space-time-motion is interdependent. This theory was studied by an experiment in 1971. According to this experiment, two atomic clocks were adjusted relative to each other, one of the clocks was left stationary on earth, and the other clock was put on an airplane and circled the world. The result of the experiment revealed Einstein's rightness. Because the clock that made the round of the world showed a shorter time than the standing clock.
In the theory of relativity, Einstein says that no object moving with acceleration in the universe can reach the speed of light. Suppose there is a rocket of sufficient power. In accordance with the principle of relativity, although it reaches speeds very close to the speed of light, the energy given when we insist on increasing the speed is constantly converted into mass. In other words, nothing with mass can reach the speed of light. Already, when we look at the particles that make up light, that is, photons, it is observed that they are massless. In addition, the fact that photons move at the speed of light means that they do not have time, that is, they move in zero time.
Together with the theory of relativity, it turns out that time is a relative concept. Thus, the door of a brand new science is opened and modern physics is born.