How Does a Clock Know the Time?

Imagine a clock like a little robot that counts seconds. It uses gears to count the time, just like you use your fingers to count numbers. Some clocks even ask a special friend in space, called a satellite, for help when they need to be extra accurate.

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Examples

  1. A grandfather clock uses a swinging pendulum to count the seconds, like a metronome for time.
  2. Your phone's clock gets the correct time from a satellite in space when you connect to GPS.
  3. A digital watch can remember the right time even if it's left on a shelf for months.

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