How Do Clocks Keep Time Accurately?

Clocks work like little machines that count steps. Just like you count your footsteps to know how far you’ve walked, clocks use tiny parts called gears and springs, or even light, to measure time. Some are powered by batteries, others by the sun or a pendulum. The more precise they are, the better they keep time!

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Examples

  1. Your fridge has a clock that counts seconds using a tiny crystal inside it.
  2. A grandfather clock ticks like a heartbeat, once per second.
  3. Smartwatches use light waves from the sun to keep time even when you're offline.

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Categories: Physics · Time· Clocks· Mechanics · Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.