How do computers keep time?

Computers use something called a clock to keep track of time, just like you use a watch or a phone.

Inside your computer is a tiny metronome, it’s called a timer, and it ticks over and over again. Every tick happens in super fast little bursts, about a billion times per second! These ticks help the computer know exactly when things should happen, like when you click a button or when a video starts playing.

The timer keeps counting these ticks, and every time it reaches a certain number of ticks, say, 1,000, the computer knows that one second has passed. It keeps doing this all day long, so it can tell you what time it is or when your favorite game should start.

If the timer stops, the computer forgets the time! That's why sometimes you have to restart your phone or computer, it’s like giving it a little nudge to remember the time again.