forth dimension

Discussion in 'The Cesspool' started by bestofthebest, Apr 29, 2010.

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  1. bestofthebest Registered Senior Member

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    relatively simple question...

    since we know that general relativity predicts the warping and curvature of the THREE dimensional space we live in (im excluding time for simplicity) then we know that it must curve into a FORTH spacial dimension that we have no comprehension of.

    we have named the three spacial dimensions we know of as x, y and z.

    my question is; does the forth spacial dimension have a letter associated with it? or shall i just make one up for my equations?
     
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  3. fdesilva Registered Member

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    This is a great question. I have also thought about it a lot. This is my take. Firstly you got to keep time in the equation and consider the universe as 4D. Then your question becomes where does the curvature take place, is it in a 5th Dimension? The reason I say you need to include time is becouse the General Relativity Field equations do not only work on the space but on space-time surface. Getting back to your question, I would like you to consider another aspect of this universe. That is the expansion. In this expansion both space and time get created. Where does this change take place? I think the valid conclussion is, it all takes place in a 5th. I cannot put links yet, however if you search the Wiki you will find a nice diagram of the expanding universe. It shows a 5th Dimension.
     
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  5. AlphaNumeric Fully ionized Registered Senior Member

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    Firstly GR predicts that space and time are warped, so you have 4 warped dimensions. Secondly you don't have to have a 5th dimension within which they warp. Write down a GR metric for say a usual Schwarzchild solution and there's no mention of a 5th dimension. You can warp N dimensional objects without having to put them in N+1 dimensional spaces.

    Time is the fourth dimension in physics, Newtonian or relativistic. Besides it doesn't matter what you call your directions, its purely a matter of convention. The fact you don't know this and you're unfamiliar with GR makes me think 'your equations' are just going to be made up nonsense without any methodology or applicability to them. Learn some vector calculus first.
     
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  7. BenTheMan Dr. of Physics, Prof. of Love Valued Senior Member

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    What a deep and insightful question!

    In modern physics, the fourth spatial dimension is denoted with :wallbang: . Thus, each point is space-time is specified by some five-vector (x,y,z,t,:wallbang: )
     
  8. Dywyddyr Penguinaciously duckalicious. Valued Senior Member

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    Pfft, if it's the forth dimension surely the symbol should be

    Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!

    .

    Think about it... I'll explain if you really don't get it.
     
  9. BenTheMan Dr. of Physics, Prof. of Love Valued Senior Member

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    Maybe, but who are we to challenge convention?
     
  10. BenTheMan Dr. of Physics, Prof. of Love Valued Senior Member

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    I also especially like how the title is about the ``forth'' dimension.

    What about the back dimension?

    Anyway, I'll give the Physics and Math forum faithful a few hours to troll this thread, then it'll go to the cesspool.

    Have Fun!
     
  11. Billy T Use Sugar Cane Alcohol car Fuel Valued Senior Member

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    Here is an a_side dimension:

    My today's paper science page has terribly grabled report of Brazilian's idea just published in Phy. Rev. Letters. Author's names are: Damiel Vanzella & William Lima (That is about the only thing that was clear in the paper).

    It seems to be a new explanation of "dark mater" that has something to due with the intense gravity near a neutron star transforming the vacuum polarization energy into dark matter. Has anyone read their Phy. Rev. Letter? If that is what they are saying, I wonder if the vac. pol. energy is inexhaustible? I.e. always there even as it is transformed into DE? Why DE seems to be increasing with time (or expansion of the universe)?

    If so, what is the idea, if possible to put into words?
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 29, 2010
  12. parmalee peripatetic artisan Valued Senior Member

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    i reckon that for a ghanian, or any speaker of hausa, this "forth" dimension would be the back dimension, as they project "fronts" in the opposite direction of english speakers, i.e. the front is projected onto the surface of an object facing away from the speaker. i can see how this might lead to some confusion.
     
  13. Dywyddyr Penguinaciously duckalicious. Valued Senior Member

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    That actually makes sense: the front is the face that's leading in the direction of travel/ facing.
    Nice idea...
     
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