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flamingyawn
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Is the 4th dimension time?
0D = dot
1D = line
2D = plane
3D = sphere
4D = time
Am I correct?
0D = dot
1D = line
2D = plane
3D = sphere
4D = time
Am I correct?
Yes, one of the four dimensions in our "four dimensional space time continuum" is time but whether it is "the fourth dimension" depends on where you start counting!flamingyawn said:Is the 4th dimension time?
0D = dot
1D = line
2D = plane
3D = sphere
4D = time
Am I correct?
HallsofIvy said:Yes, one of the four dimensions in our "four dimensional space time continuum" is time but whether it is "the fourth dimension" depends on where you start counting!
Yes, "0 dimensions" would be a dot, but "1 dimension" is not necessarily a line. It could be any curve. For example, the set {(x,y)| y= x^2} is one-dimensional. Similarly, a plane is an example of a two dimensional set but a two dimensional set can be any surface.
A sphere is in 3 dimensions but it is not "3 dimensions" in the same sense that a point, line, and plane "are" 0, 1, and 2 dimensions- it does not encompass all of 3 dimensional space. And, in keeping with the previous examples, you should have "3D = all of space".
And "4D = time" is completely different from the others. "Time" does not have 4 dimensions in the same sense that the others have 1, 2, or 2 dimensions. "4D= time-space" would be better.
The number of dimensions something has expresses how many numbers you need to designate a single "point" in that thing. A "point" has 0 dimensions because you only have the one point to begin with so you don't need to "designate" it at all. To designate a point on a line (or curve) I could arbitrarily assign "0" to one point and measure from that to the point I want to designate and assign it the distance (positive in one direction and negative in the other). To designate a point on a plane, i could set up a coordinate system and use the two number, x and y. To designate a point in space, I need three numbers.
Physicists work with "events"- thing that happen at a specific point, at a specific time. We need three numbers to designate the point and one number to designate the time. That is what we mean when we say that space-time is "four dimensional" and that time is the "fourth dimension".
The concept of the 4th dimension is often associated with time, but it is not necessarily the same thing. The 4th dimension is a mathematical concept used to describe the spatial dimensions beyond length, width, and height.
The 4th dimension is a spatial dimension, while time is a dimension of movement and change. The 4th dimension is often referred to as "hyperspace" and is used to explain complex physics theories, while time is a fundamental aspect of our daily lives.
As humans, we experience the world in three dimensions, so we cannot directly experience the 4th dimension. However, some scientists believe that the 4th dimension may exist in a higher plane or alternate universe.
The 4th dimension is considered a physical dimension in the sense that it can be mathematically described and is used in theories of physics. However, it is not a dimension that we can physically perceive or interact with in our everyday lives.
The 4th dimension plays a significant role in theories of physics, such as string theory and quantum mechanics. It helps to explain phenomena that cannot be fully understood in three dimensions and allows us to expand our understanding of the universe and how it operates.