Article
Article
Frame of reference
Article By:
Goodman, Bernard Department of Physics, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio.
Last reviewed:June 2020
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.270900
A base to which to refer physical events. A physical event occurs at a point in space and at an instant of time. Each reference frame must have an observer to record events, as well as a coordinate system for the purpose of assigning locations to each event. The latter is usually a three-dimensional space coordinate system and a set of standardized clocks to give the local time of each event. For a discussion of the geometrical properties of space-time coordinate systems See also: Spacetime; Relativity
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