Why is it important that your reference point be stationary?

Answer 1

A reference point is part of the definition of movement or displacement.

The difference, over time, of your distance or orientation to a given reference point or points defines movement.

Answer 2

A reference point is part of the definition of movement or displacement.

The difference, over time, of your distance or orientation to a given reference point or points defines movement.

Answer 3

Because there are no such things as real position, real velocity, real acceleration,

real potential energy, or real kinetic energy. Each of these quantities is measured

relative to something else, and if the reference point changes, the measurement

changes too.

Simple example: You're on an airliner, flying to visit grandma in California and reading a book.

Referenced to you, the book's velocity is zero. Referenced to your friend on the ground, the

book's velocity is 400 miles per hour toward the west. You're both correct.

Answer 4

Consider this.

If you ask somebody how far it is "from here to there", he/she would probably ask you where "here" is, and where "there" is. Here and there is the reference start and reference end point. Without a reference start and end, we would not actually know or have information we can relate to.

Without reference as in both Start point, End point and Unit size:

Our world would fall apart.

We would not be able to measure temperature, distance or size.

We would not even be able to measure time without a reference.

Reference points make meaning out of chaos.

We know the meaning of Degrees Celsius and can easily relate to it because we know that negative values mean freezing of water and positive numbers mean not freezing water.

We know the meaning of distance because we can relate to something we know.

We know the meaning of time because we relate this to 24 hours, the earth turning one time around its own axis.

We strive for perfection.

As scientists get closer and closer to the speed of light. we also need better and better math and more accurate references. As a consequence of this we do not reference time as such to the earth turning around its axis any more. We do not reference Celsius to the melting point of ice any more. We change references so that math will be perfect and repeatable.

Answer 5

To set a standard to measure the accuracy, like for time -greenwich meridian time is used as reference.

Answer 6

a reference point is needed in motion because to find out how far an object has moved you need a reference point

I don't know if that's true cause that's what I think.

Answer 7

The reference point is where motion is moving to

Answer 8

Because there is no such thing as 'real' motion.

All motion is relative to something.

Answer 9

Reference points are used in order to easily access information that is in a larger collection of data.