Real space
Encyclopedia
Position space denominates the space of possible locations of an object in classical physics
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The real space coordinates specify the position of an object. For instance,
the trajectory
in classical mechanics
is described in real space. The term position space is used in physics in order to make a distinction to:
Classical physics
What "classical physics" refers to depends on the context. When discussing special relativity, it refers to the Newtonian physics which preceded relativity, i.e. the branches of physics based on principles developed before the rise of relativity and quantum mechanics...
.
The real space coordinates specify the position of an object. For instance,
the trajectory
Trajectory
A trajectory is the path that a moving object follows through space as a function of time. The object might be a projectile or a satellite, for example. It thus includes the meaning of orbit—the path of a planet, an asteroid or a comet as it travels around a central mass...
in classical mechanics
Classical mechanics
In physics, classical mechanics is one of the two major sub-fields of mechanics, which is concerned with the set of physical laws describing the motion of bodies under the action of a system of forces...
is described in real space. The term position space is used in physics in order to make a distinction to:
- Phase spacePhase spaceIn mathematics and physics, a phase space, introduced by Willard Gibbs in 1901, is a space in which all possible states of a system are represented, with each possible state of the system corresponding to one unique point in the phase space...
- Reciprocal space