What is “Time” and how exactly does it work?
In: Physics
“Time” is a measurement of change. In 3D space, you can measure distance and find the position of something. How do you then describe the period between measuring an object at different points? “Time” is the measurement that describes the period between two events.
“Time” is not fixed, it depends on a rate of change. Basically, the clock of “time” can run faster or slower. What changes how fast time flows is “mass.” A more massive object slows “time” as it “flows” past the object. The exact “why” is unknown, but this means that “time” slows down when near massive objects.
So what is it? It’s a measurement of change that can be affected by mass. Why mass slows “time,” we don’t fully know. The best way to understand is a river analogy. “Time” is some part of our universe that keeps flowing like a river. And like a river, they both slow down near the riverbank or “mass.” We use that flow to measure, we can see how the flow changes near mass, but we don’t know *exactly* what it is.
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