Time

Definition

Time is a fundamental quantity used to measure the duration of events and the intervals between them. It is usually measured in seconds (s) in the International System of Units (SI).

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Time is a scalar quantity, meaning it has magnitude but no direction.
2. In kinematics, time is often denoted by the variable $t$.
3. The relationship between time and velocity can be described by the equation $v = \frac{d}{t}$, where $v$ is velocity, $d$ is distance, and $t$ is time.
4. When graphing motion, time typically appears on the horizontal axis (x-axis).
5. Uniform motion implies constant velocity over equal time intervals.

Review Questions

• What type of quantity is time: scalar or vector?
• In the equation $v = \frac{d}{t}$, what does each variable represent?
• How does uniform motion relate to time and velocity?

Related terms

Velocity:

Velocity is a vector quantity that describes the rate of change of position with respect to time. It has both magnitude and direction.

Speed: Speed is a scalar quantity that represents how fast an object is moving. It does not include direction and is calculated as distance traveled divided by the time taken.

Acceleration: $Acceleration$ refers to the rate at which an object's velocity changes with respect to time. It can be positive (speeding up) or negative (slowing down).