Problems with a time travel equation.

[Von]

So............
I'll jump right into it:

If the following equation is true:

CHARGE (in C) = CURRENT (in A) X TIME (in S)

then you can also say:

CHARGE/CURRENT = TIME

So now if you can get either a charge or current to be negative in the same substance, then time would be negative, right?

 

[iainduguid]

Neat idea, huh? Unfortunately, that's not how it works. All the equation is doing is defining terms: current = charge/time, or in other words, current is a measure of the flow of charge. "negative" charge would simply mean the current was flowing the other way, not backwards in time. Think of a battery: the equation describes the situation both when the battery is charging and when it is discharging. Whenever the charge is negative, the current is negative (by definition), so there is never a "negative time"

 

[Wretched Man]

Neat idea, huh? Unfortunately, that's not how it works. All the equation is doing is defining terms: current = charge/time, or in other words, current is a measure of the flow of charge. "negative" charge would simply mean the current was flowing the other way, not backwards in time. Think of a battery: the equation describes the situation both when the battery is charging and when it is discharging. Whenever the charge is negative, the current is negative (by definition), so there is never a "negative time"

If the charge reaches 88 MPH and is driving a DeLorean however, it’s been scientifically proven to traverse time.

 

[Von]

Neat idea, huh? Unfortunately, that's not how it works. All the equation is doing is defining terms: current = charge/time, or in other words, current is a measure of the flow of charge. "negative" charge would simply mean the current was flowing the other way, not backwards in time. Think of a battery: the equation describes the situation both when the battery is charging and when it is discharging. Whenever the charge is negative, the current is negative (by definition), so there is never a "negative time"

Whaaaaat?
So the machine that I built with my kids during lockdown is not going to work?

 

[Logan]

I agree with Ian. Amps is Coulombs per Second. It is a per unit time sort of measurement. If you have negative charge then you have "negative" (or reverse) flow of current, not negative time.

 

[ZackF]

I agree with Ian. Amps is Coulombs per Second. It is a per unit time sort of measurement. If you have negative charge then you have "negative" (or reverse) flow of current, not negative time.

Yeah. Kinda like going back in time by putting the car in reverse.