Every video I see on some introduction to time-keeping history says things changed when quartz was discovered. I remember commercials for watches actually bragging in marketing campaigns about quartz time-keeping or whatever it is called. I don’t know what about quartz (is it an element) made it so important for keeping accurate time.
Also, I wasn’t sure what flair to put this under. I can add another if someone has a better suggestion.
In: 89
Imagine an old grandfather clock, one with a pendulum inside it.
Let’s say that every 2 seconds it completes a cycle (a tick and a tock). That way, the clock completes a cycle and knows that 2 seconds have passed.
It is however really hard getting an accurate measurement using that. If you have the clock resting on a moving surface like a table or a ship, that will effect the length of each cycle. If you make the pendulum longer, that will effect the length of the cycle. If the wind blows or the atmosphere changes, that would effect the length of a cycle. Some things effect the clock by tiny amounts but some by larger however everything can cause a problem.
Quartz, when electricity flows through it will vibrate at a consistent speed. This means that a lot of issues you would get with older clocks which could make them less accurate could be removed as they are less effected by where they are.
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