Time in physics

High school (ages 12+)
Philosophy & Big Questions

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/time-in-physics

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the classical definition?Time is a fundamental, absolute, and universal scalar quantity (symbol t)
2. What is the modern definition of the second?Based on 9,192,631,770 periods of radiation from cesium-133 atomic transitions
3. Why do we need very accurate clocks like atomic clocks?Atomic clocks use atoms that vibrate at a steady rate, so they stay very accurate. They help keep our technology, like GPS and computers, working correctly.
4. How does time help us calculate speed and motion?Speed is found by dividing how far something goes by how long it takes. Acceleration is the change in speed over time, so time lets us understand how motion changes.

Non-relativistic Physics: Physics that does not consider the effects of Einstein's theory of relativity, especially at high speeds.
Scalar Quantity: A physical quantity that has magnitude only, not direction (e.g., temperature, mass, time).
Atomic Clock: A clock that uses the resonant frequency of atoms as its timekeeping element for extreme accuracy.