# Physical object
**Trait Number:** 1
**Layer:** Physical
**Bit Position:** 1
**Binary Encoding:** `10000000 00000000 00000000 00000000`
**UHT Code (self-encoding):** `80 00 00 00`
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# Icon
![[Icon1.png|200]]
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## Definition
The entity **exists materially** in space and time. It has a tangible presence and is composed of matter or energy in a spatial frame.
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## When to Apply
Use this trait when the entity:
- Has physical form or occupies space
- Exists independently of abstract definition or symbolic meaning
- Is not purely conceptual, virtual, or informational
Avoid applying if the entity is:
- A rule, value, signal, or purely symbolic reference
- Represented only in software or thought unless physically embodied
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## Related Traits
- [[02 00 00 00 - Material Form]] — More specific to *composition*; an object can exist but be immaterial (e.g., force fields).
- [[04 00 00 00 - Perceptible]] — Perception implies sensory access; an object might be too small or distant to perceive.
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## Examples
- A rock
- A smartphone
- A chair
- A planet
- A printed book (not just the text it contains)
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## Commentary
This is often the most “default” trait and is shared by nearly all tangible systems. Be cautious not to conflate "physical object" with "man-made" or "perceptible" — something can exist physically yet not be designed or sensed.
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**© 2025 Steven Holland. All rights reserved.**
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