Space, Time and Space-time

Time and space concept is absolute. According to Newton’s theory, time flows with perfect
uniformity forever and space is a limitless container. Nothing in the universe affects the time’s
flow.

Space

The term ‘Space’ has different meanings to different people and can be used in different ways.
Space is defined as a boundless, three-dimensional (3-D) extent in which objects can occupy
and where events occur. It has relative position and direction. Also, it can be referred to the
unlimited 3-D expanse in which all material objects are located.

In astronomy - space is defined as the region beyond the earth’s atmosphere containing the
other planets of the solar system, stars, galaxies etc, i.e. the universe.

Space can also be defined as a region between two points. An interval of distance or time
between two points, objects or events. The most important concept about space and time is that
in Newtonian mechanics, space is time and time is space.

When we talk about the length of a space between two points – this implies distance. Hence,
space has dimension of length / distance i.e. meter.

Space is represented in spatial coordinate system which can be 1-D, 2-D or 3-D. The Cartesian
coordinate system i.e. xyz plane like others coordinate systems can be used as reference frame
to represent space.

Reference Frame: This is an abstract coordinate system and a set of physical reference points
that uniquely fix the coordinate system and standardize measurements within that frame.

Figure 1 is an illustration of reference frames i.e. static 1-D coordinate system and moving 1-
D reference frame. To object A, object B is static though the container i.e. the moving reference
frame is moving at constant velocity V. Whereas to object C, object B is moving with velocity
V in the positive x-direction.
 V
Moving Frame

A B
C Static frame

Figure 1: Moving and static frame of reference

Inertial reference frame: This is a frame of reference that is not accelerating and the Newton’s
law holds true. The two reference frames in Figure 1 are inertial reference frames. The
implication is that if there is no external force is acting on a body in such a reference frame,
the object will stay at rest or remain in uniform motion.

Non-inertial reference frame: This is a frame of reference that is accelerating and the
Newton’s law does not hold true. A good example of a non-inertial reference frame is a motion
of a car round a corner or a round-about OR a car that accelerating or decelerating. In this
scenario, an occupant of such a car will experience a change of state as if an external force is
acting on it.

Time

Time is defined as the interval or space between two events. The SI unit of time is in second.

In classical mechanics, space and time are related concepts. Just as stated above, space is time
and time is space. Time is required to cover the space between two points. The reason we use
it loosely e.g. Lagos to Ibadan is 1 hour 30 minutes. The implication of a statement like this is
that 1 hour 30 minutes is required to travel from Lagos to Ibadan. Leading to the well-known
equation:

Distance
Speed = (1)
Time

i.e.

Distance = Speed × Time (2)

If the speed at which an object is traveling is known, one can calculate the time it will take that
object to cover the space between two points. Equation 2, so to say, links space to time in
mechanics and based on this one can talk about the space between two points in terms of time.
Note:

i. We talk about the length of a space between two events – this implies time, and time
is measured in seconds.
ii. Space and time are both observable and measurable physical quantities. Their
combination gives a new coordinate system called space-time.

Space-time

In physics, space-time, also called the space-time continuum, is a mathematical model that
fuses the three dimensions of space and the one dimension of time into a single four-
dimensional continuum.

Space-time is a four (4) coordinate system in which the space coordinate is combined with the
time coordinate to make a single coordinate system e.g. (𝑥, 𝑦, 𝑧, 𝑡). This 4-D (space-time) is
used to specified events. Figure 1 shows a 4-D coordinate system in which the coordinate
(x,y.z) is represented by a single axis as indicated and the time axis by an axis. An event can
be specified as a point on this (𝑥, 𝑦, 𝑧, 𝑡) coordinate. The events A and B occurred at the same
time but at different locations. This is because the two occurred at the same time 𝑡1 but at
different locations i.e. event A occurred at location 𝑃1 and event B at location 𝑃2 . Similarly,
event A and C occurred at the same location 𝑃1 but at different time, i.e. event A occurred at
time 𝑡1 and B at time 𝑡2 .

3-D
(𝑥, 𝑦, 𝑧)

𝑃2
Event B

𝑃1
Event A

Event C

𝑡1 Time

𝑡2 (𝑡)

Figure 1: Space-time coordinate

Lorentz transformations – contraction and dilation

Length contraction applies when you are talking about a distance that is independent of
time (e.g. the distance between two objects that are fixed relative to one another or the distance
between two ends of a single object). The "proper distance" in the formula is the distance in a
frame where the two ends of the distance are not moving, and the formula says that the observed
distance in another frame is smaller by a factor of gamma.

Note that length contraction does not apply if we are talking about the distance between two
things that are moving relative to one another or to the distance between two events (rather
than physical objects).

Time dilation applies when you are talking about two events that are at the same place in
some frame (e.g. two ticks on the same clock). In this case, the "proper time" in the formula
is the time in this frame where the two events are at the same place, and the formula says that
the observed time between these two events in some other frame is larger by a factor of gamma.

Note that time dilation does not apply if we are talking about the time between two events that
are not in the same place in either frame. When length contraction and time dilation do not
apply (or even when they do), we can use Lorentz transformations.

1) Lorentz transformations relate the position and time of a SINGLE EVENT in some frame S
to the position and time in another frame S'. If you are applying the LT formula, ask yourself
whether the x and t you are plugging in correspond to some specific event.

2) The main steps to using Lorentz transformations to solve a problem:

a) Identify one frame of reference and call it S. It is your choice, but usually it is simplest to
call S the frame of reference in which you have the most information.

b) Identify another frame of reference and call it S'. Usually it is convenient to make this the
reference frame corresponding to the information that you are trying to find in the problem.

c) Determine the velocity of frame S' relative to frame S. The velocity v that appears in the
Lorentz transformation formula or the velocity transformation formula
is always this velocity. Make sure that you have defined the x direction so that this velocity is
either in the positive or negative x direction.

d) Decide which events are relevant for the problem. Pick some event to be the origin of space
and time coordinates (if the question doesn't do this for you). Determine the coordinates and
times of the other events in one frame of reference. This might be information you are given,
or information that you need to work out using ordinary kinematics formulae (e.g. distance =
speed * time). Finally, you can use the Lorentz transformation formulae to determine the
positions and times of these events in the other frame of reference. This should be enough
information to allow you to solve the problem.