Velocity

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Revision as of 00:09, 23 April 2024 by Lfox (talk | contribs) (Created page with "The '''velocity''' of an object is the rate at which it moves. A particle is an entity considered as a point. == Specification == There is no such thing as the velocity of a particle at "an instant in time." But I want to specify a certain ''real'' measurement, which could actually be done, and which is the reality-based analogue of that notion. If one measures a particle and it is not moving (relative to me), then he can measure it at a certain position <math>x</m...")
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The velocity of an object is the rate at which it moves.

A particle is an entity considered as a point.

Specification

There is no such thing as the velocity of a particle at "an instant in time." But I want to specify a certain real measurement, which could actually be done, and which is the reality-based analogue of that notion.

If one measures a particle and it is not moving (relative to me), then he can measure it at a certain position , at a certain time . Like all measurements, these come with uncertainties, and , based on the nature of one's measurement apparatuses. If a particle is moving, then its measurement becomes more uncertain; one has less of an idea of what its position is at a given time. Denote the uncertainty of the moving particle by . Then

Specification. The velocity of the particle at time is

I can get something like a fundamental theorem of calculus out of this, but it's very subtle because it depends on the exact specifications of the uncertainties.