Is time the 4th dimension?
Within Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity, time is the fourth dimension – so that space and time become space-time. This fourth dimension is then incorporated into calculations of the ‘metric’ or measure of a small element ‘ds’ of (here flat or Minkowski) space, in an equation of the type: – ds² = dx² + dy² + dz² – c²dt² Thus, in relativistic calculations time becomes a fourth dimension. However, a more general consideration of time might proceed as follows. As humans, we perceive time as a steady progression of a sequence of events whose progress we measure with artificial units. These artificial units are centuries, years, months, days, hours, minutes, and seconds. Although physics allows a symmetric nature to the progression or regression of time; we only observe time as progressing inexorably forward. For human perception, the progress of time may seem fast or slow depending upon what we are doing – despite the imposed units of time progress. Artificial units for time are awkw
