Faculty of Technology

The Clocks

Module code: ENGZ0006 Module name: Design and Technology

Submitted by: Name: TAREQ ALJAHDALI Student number: P0900123X Date: 18/01/2011

Submitted to: student Advice Centre in Gateway Building Module Tutors Name: Dr. Keith Maycock

Since the beginning of history humans realized the value of time which is important for all creatures life and moving objects in the universe. Moreover, time is connected with our life habits such as sleep time, waking time, eating time and working time. Furthermore, knowledge of time is fundamental for example to prepare for annual seasons, to know the time of birth for a pregnant woman, or to know the period needed for a patient or wounded person to recover. Therefore, a method was devised to measure time which is a tool still used to determine the current time, known as a clock. This concept has undergone constant development since ancient times until the present era, making the instrument for measuring time into a device of precision that works by mathematical and physics notions. From the beginning of clock invention the ancient civilizations such as the Babylonian, Greek and Egyptian civilisations began to use the clock in astronomy in order to measure the distance of planets through time, calculate the days and years via the Earth's rotation and to locate sites. This last purpose is very important at present because in day to day life GPS is used to determine direction and location on land, ships and in space. The different generations and phases of progress in the clock will be discussed in this essay.

The sundial clock was the first clock invention which measures the time of the day; as cited in Daniel (2004:4) it is an instrument which determines the time from the sun by using an indicator, called a gnomon or style, to cast a shadow or to project a spot of light on to a graduated surface. This type of clock was used until the beginning of the modern era. However, the problem in this invention was the necessity of sun light the lack of which renders it useless, thus leading to other inventions. As groundbreaking as it was, it was primitive and had limited effectiveness in its aim to quantify time.

Water clocks, also known as clepsydrae existed in the ancient civilizations of Egypt and Babylon. Furthermore, those ancient civilizations knew how to devise courses that could be used to tell the time via the basic knowledge that the flow of water from a hole in a bowl filled with water occurs at a steady rate. Matthews (2000:54) explains it thus: One of the earliest clepsydra was an earthen jar with a hole in the bottom from which water dripped. The jar would empty in equal periods of time. Sometimes there would be a graduated receiving vessel with hours marked off. Although this skill was effective there was a new jamb to mechanical clocks.

Hourglass clocks had been used from the beginning of the fourteenth century measuring time with a similar method to the water clock. To explain, it is a tool for measuring time consisting of two glass chambers one above the other connected by a narrow slot. The upper chamber is filled with fine sand which flows down into the lower chamber. Once the sand has filled the bottom chamber, the whole hour glass
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can be turned over to continue measuring time. However, the hourglass clock is not considered as a reliable measuring instrument, because the flow of sand from the upper chamber of the substrate is linked to several factors: the soft sand, the form of the chambers, the size of the hole, the hyphen between the two chambers, the movement of sand, the stability of the clock, and the vertical stand of the clock. This devise was full of defects which required improvement.

The mechanical clock appeared for the first time in Europe in the13th century, and used weights downwards and upwards to determine the elapsed time by management of a gear which would continue in motion until the bell rang. It is noted in NASA (2010 :?) that pendulums of equal length swing at the same rate whether their arcs are large or small. Using this theory Dutchman Christian Huygens was able to invent the first clock that worked by a pendulum which made the clock more accurate. This development in the clock instrument lead to the design of the pocket watch which works by spring power. However, the mechanism is influenced by many things such as changes in temperature, and corrosion in some parts. Although this type of clock was the best in that period of time and incorporated art in its design, it was not an accurate gadget.

Electric clocks include those that are battery operated and clocks working with electricity. In addition, the electric clock's mainspring is wound either with an electric motor or with an electro-magnet and armature. Although it is a good method, it is dependent on electricity; once it is gone the clock will stop.

The atomic clock is a clock that is based on the vibrations of an atom. Currently, atomic clocks are recognised as the standard of accurate time and frequency. Moreover, the atomic clock is used in various fields as cited in NASA (2010 :?): NASA uses atomic clocks for spacecraft navigation. Geologists use them to monitor continental drift and the slowly changing spin of our planet. Physicists use them to check theories of gravity. The most popular type of atomic clock is the clock of caesium and the rubidium clock which is less accurate than the caesium clock. On average the accuracy of the atomic clock is 1 nanoseconds per day, equivalent to an error rate of a second every 2.7 million years old. This type of clock is the most accurate and the latest device to measure time.

In conclusion, time is substantial in the life system and the way of living. Therefore, a gadget was required in order to measure time to be aware of location, for current lifestyles and for development. Significant developments lead to new concepts in the measurement of time and dimensions via a combination of mathematics and physics.
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Moreover, the development of the clock design is a gauge of craftsmanship. The clock started with a rudimentary idea, the sundial clock, which requires the suns existence. Then the water clock was created with a better method for measuring time but it was not enough to measure time accurately. In the 13th century the mechanical clock was a leap in the clock industry which paved the way for access to electric clocks. More recently, scientists created the, as yet, most accurate clock which is the atomic clock. Time is very precious; it will not stop or wait, but rather keep moving thus people need to know the exact time to be aware of how much time has passed and how much time is left.

Reference

DANIEL, C. (2004) Sundials. 2nd ed. Buckinghamshire: Shire Publication Ltd MATTHEWS, M. R (2000) Time For Science Education. 1st. New York: Kluwer Academic/Plenum. NASA GOVERNMENT (2005) Galileo [www]. Available from: http://www.nasa.gov/worldbook/galileo_worldbook.html [Accessed 11/11/2010] NASA GOVERNMENT (2004) Spooky Atomic Clocks [www]. Available from: http://www.nasa.gov/vision/earth/technologies/23jan_entangled.html [Accessed 11/11/2010]