frame of reference
Also known as reference frame, reference system
materialization of an abstract coordinate system
AI overview
A frame of reference is an abstract coordinate system—essentially an imaginary grid or set of measurement points—that you use to describe the location and motion of objects in space. It matters because the same object can appear to be moving or stationary depending on which frame of reference you choose to observe from, making it essential for accurately describing and understanding motion and position.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Wikidata facts
- Image
- Inertial hi.svg
via Wikidata · CC0
Article
In physics and astronomy, a frame of reference (or reference frame) is an abstract coordinate system, whose origin, orientation, and scale have been specified in physical space. It is based on a set of reference points, defined as geometric points whose position is identified both mathematically (with numerical coordinate values) and physically (signaled by conventional markers). An important special case is that of an inertial reference frame, a stationary or uniformly moving frame.
For n dimensions, n + 1 reference points are sufficient to fully define a reference frame. Using rectangular Cartesian coordinates, a reference frame may be defined with a reference point at the origin and a reference point at one unit distance from the origin along each of the n coordinate axes.