The Definition of Time and Clocks

 You probably think a clock shows the time, but clocks show numbers. The numbers visually represent Earth’s rotation showing a new number each second, and we must think about the numbers to get the time of day. Therefore, time is calculated from motion.

Any constant motion can be converted into time. In ancient times the motion of the Sun across the sky was time. Half of the day was sunlight, and the night was dark. 

A sundial also shows the motion of our planet to give us the approximate time during one day. As you can see, time comes from the duration of motion. 

Time doesn’t exist separately; time exists with the motion of things. A clock shows the motion as numbers, and we use some thinking to calculate the numbers into time. 

Thus to know the time or the duration of time, you need to do some math, and that's why time is a concept that lives in our minds.

The Invention of Clocks

Time is a concept invented from the Earth’s motion, so time is measured motion. Clocks don’t measure time, and they don't measure motion. People measure time and duration of motion from the numbers a clock shows. 

For example, a cesium atomic clock counts the number of photons emitted from the cesium atom. When it counts the correct 9,192,631,770 times, it displays 1. What does the “one” represent? 

The Earth spins on its axis, and one revolution is called one day. The mathematical model of one day has 24 hours, 1440 minutes, or 86,400 seconds. 

Therefore, one second is 1/86,400th of a day, so the cesium atom must count 9,192,631,770 times to equal the scientific meaning of one second. 

The second is derived from the motion of our planet, and every other movement is calculated using the interval of the "second." 

There’s a mental aspect to understanding the number of seconds or minutes because a clock doesn’t show time. A clock shows numbers, and our brains convert them into time. 

Fortunately, after 60 seconds, the numbers become minutes, and it’s easier to calculate the time. After 60 minutes, they become hours; after 24 hours, they add up to one day. 

However, clocks do all the counting, showing numbers, and we use our brains to interpret the numbers. 

With a regular wall clock, we must learn to read the time using the minute and hour hands. 

Clocks show numbers and not time, and we use the time in our minds to describe events.

Does Time Only Exist in Our Minds?

Time exists in our minds because clocks show numbers, and we have been taught to know what the numbers mean. If clocks didn’t exist, where could we see the time? Well, you can look at the position of the Sun and guess the time of day. 

But the “time of day” is always the position of Earth’s rotation compared to the Sun. When the Sun appears overhead, you can gather information, such as “time” for lunch. 

As the Sun sets, you know it’s time to go home, eat, and get ready to sleep until the sunrise wakes you up. So time comes from the rhythm of daylight and darkness each day. 

However, the times will vary depending on the distance from the equator and the seasonal periods during Earth’s orbit around the sun.

The concept of time came from the movement and rotation of our planet. Thus, clocks monitor the motion of the Earth and show it on clocks as numbers. To know the time, we look at a clock's numbers and do some thinking. 

The more accurate the clock, the more accurate the time, but it still relates to the position of the Sun compared to a clock's location. 

Time is one of the most frequently used words, but “time” only exists in our minds.

Additionally, clocks only exist on Earth, and every planet has a system of different numbers on its instruments. 

It's strange that we also think that there's another time that allows the universe to exist. The universe doesn't use time to move. Things like atoms, electrons, and photons are constantly moving. 

If you believe that it takes "time" for things to move, and without "time," things cannot move, then you confuse the duration of motion as a force causing the motion. 

We use clocks to measure the motion interval as several seconds, hours, or days. Time isn't a force causing motion. Time is our measurement of the motion. 

The English language has twisted the meaning of time into an essential presence so that even scientists assume that time is needed before something can move. 

It's strange how time confuses us. For example, we always say the Sun moves across the sky instead of saying the Earth rotates. The Earth doesn't take time to rotate, it rotates by a kinetic force, and we call the motion time. 

One complete revolution of Earth is one day, but it doesn't use time to rotate. The duration of the rotation is 24 hours because we assigned the duration as 24 hours. 

It's challenging to describe time without using our time-based language. 

The Language of Time

The English language is time-based, and we use the noun time as a verb for action and activity. For example, we can time you in timed action, and you can time your race.  

People say Time flies, time flows, time passes, and time waits for no one. We often change words backward as travel time into time travel, schedule time into a time schedule, and time management into management of time. 

We use a timetable, timeline, birth time, feeding time, nap time, and playtime. We take time to do activities, exercise time, workout time, study time, lunchtime, coffee time, supper time, dinner time, party time, and rest time. 

We often waste time, spend time, lose time, and save time, but we don't know the value of time. We use time to drive, time to shop, time to fly, and our minds go in a time loop or time warp, whatever that means. 

The camera records time using the exposure time or time-lapse. Farmers work at planting time, growing time, and harvest time. Our history uses timekeeping, period time, before time, and time after time. 

We relate time into dimensions, the past, present, future, and spacetime. We might never learn the definition of time because we use the word in hundreds of different ways. 

However, scientists and mathematicians should learn to use equations with the correct meaning of time and remember that “time” itself cannot be measured by clocks alone.

Thanks for your time or your "duration" of reading. Please enjoy my weekly newsletter about science in your life. I use logic and common sense to think outside the box that scientists have built. 

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Take care, and be well. Erik xoxo,  eriklovin@gmail.com