How would you define "instant."

 

an infinitely small measure of time. similar to a geometric point, only it doesnt refer to distance. it seems like people on this forum cant grasp the concept of something happening for an amount of time smaller than anything we can express.

 

when i say for an instant at the very top it is moving sideways i mean exactly that, its moving sideways for an infinitely small amount of time, not up or down, sideways.

I like Swansont's scenario of the car in #41: it has the feel of a string theory about it. Maybe we should start thinking of physical objects as having, to use a cheesy metaphor, "one foot iin the past and one foot in the future".

an infinitely small measure of time. similar to a geometric point' date=' only it doesnt refer to distance. it seems like people on this forum cant grasp the concept of something happening for an amount of time smaller than anything we can express.

 

when i say for an instant [b']at the very top it is moving sideways[/b] i mean exactly that, its moving sideways for an infinitely small amount of time, not up or down, sideways.

 

If by "it" you are referring to the throw on the crankshaft, I don't see how this is possible since it discribes an arc and an arc is not a straignt line.

 

Sideways suggests a straight line.