Does the sheer passage of time explain the forgetting curve?

Does the sheer passage of time explain the forgetting curve?
What is that curve?
What is plotted, and what does the curve look like?
If the sheer passage of time doesn’t explain the curve, what results led to that conclusion?
What seems to explain forgetting better than the sheer passage of time?

Answer:

Time itself doesn’t explain the curve. Instead, processes occurring over time account for the curve. The forgetting curve is how much information is forgotten since it was learned. The curve looks like the power curve of learning where, initially, the most forgetting happens quickly and levels off. In a study in Michigan, participants listened to tones or syllables after memorizing a list of words. The results showed that those listening to syllables did worse. This result indicates that time per se is not what explains forgetting. Instead, it is interference over time.