Time in Physics
Wu Xinzhong
Wu Xinzhong, School of History and Culture of Science, Shanghai Jiaotong University, China.
Manuscript received on 01 May 2025 | First Revised Manuscript received on 12 May 2025 | Second Revised Manuscript received on 16 September 2025 | Manuscript Accepted on 15 October 2025 | Manuscript published on 30 October 2025 | PP: 5-13 | Volume-5 Issue-2, October 2025 | Retrieval Number: 100.1/ijap.B106105021025 | DOI: 10.54105/ijap.B1061.05021025
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© The Authors. Published by Lattice Science Publication (LSP). This is an open-access article under the CC-BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)
Abstract: The understanding of time in physics has undergone profound changes from classical mechanics to relativity and quantum mechanics. In Newtonian mechanics, time is regarded as an absolute and uniform passage, independent of external phenomena, and is a fundamental parameter of the equations of motion. Relativity emphasises the relativity of time and its close connection with the motion of matter, proposes an operational definition of the simultaneity of distant events, and develops Minkowski’s view of spacetime and Riemannian curved spacetime. In quantum mechanics, time is often regarded as a parameter external to the microscopic system rather than an observable quantity. Although some scholars have attempted to introduce time operators, they have not yet gained widespread recognition. Overall, the understanding of time in physics continues to deepen with the development of theory. Still, the unity of classical and quantum mechanics in time remains an unsolved problem.
Keywords: Relativity, Minkowski Spacetime, Quantum Mechanics, Time Operator.
Scope of the Article: Astrophysics Physics