Eli5: Why does time matter in physics?

1.04K views

If I drive my car through a corner slowly I’ll be fine. If I go fast, the car will skid off the road. All the materials are the same, the execution is the same. The only difference is over what amount of time this happens? The example is not important, the same goes for pretty much anything. Filling a bottle, ripping a sheet of paper..

I understand this from a intuitive perspective, but I wonder if someone can explain why time matters in physics in a simple way. What is the fundamental difference between doing something fast vs. slow.

I’m sure this is a silly question if you know some thermal dynamics or special relativity, but remember, I’m only 5!

In: Physics

20 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

Most physics equations have time in them as a fundamental variable, which makes things more energetic.

There are some examples of going slower making things faster. The International Space Station goes slower than geostationary satellites, but it also completes a smaller orbit path due to that, so it goes around the planet every 90 minutes rather than every 24 hours.

Want to make a sharp turn in a plane or ship in a game? Drop the throttle while making the hard turn and it will complete faster because the turning circle becomes smaller.

You are viewing 1 out of 20 answers, click here to view all answers.