I. WHAT IS TIME?

Time is an observed phenomenon, by means of which beings sense and record

changes in the environment and in the universe. Time has been called an illusion, a
dimension, a smooth-flowing continuum, and an expression of separation among events
that occur in the same physical location.

II. THE DEVELOPMENT OF TIME

The greatest breakthrough in understanding of time occurred about a hundred years
ago with Einstein’s theories of Special and General relativity in which he introduced the
concept of slowing of time with motion and in gravity. Einstein also showed that large
masses curve space and there is increase in mass with acceleration by application of a
force. These discoveries of Einstein provide the necessary clues to solve the riddle of
time. One of the earliest devices to measure time was the sundials; which used the suns
motion as a standard of measurement for time. The use of units like seconds and minutes
which are radial angle measurements in geometry may be pointing toward the original
connection of time measurements to radial motion of astronomical objects across the sky.
Once we started using precise time keeping devices like digital clocks and time based on
atomic oscillations, the time’s celestial connection was lost. Now the whole world’s time
can be synchronized by atomic clocks and time has developed a life of its own.

III. TYPES OF CLOCKS

Sun Clocks

A shadow was cast as the Sun moved across

the sky by the obelisk, which it appears was
then marked out in sections, allowing people
to clearly see the two halves of the day. Some
of the sections have also been found to
indicate the year's longest and shortest days,
which it is thought were developments added
later to allow identification of other important
time subdivisions. A vertical stick, gnomon,
or obelisks that casts a shadow is a sundial,
and they were used as early as 3500 BC. In
1500 BC, Egyptians had portable sundials.
The sections were divided into ten parts, with
two 'twilight hours' indicated, occurring in the
morning and the evening. For it to work
successfully then at midday or noon, the
device had to be turned 180 degrees to
measure the afternoon hours.
Water Clocks

Water clocks were among the earliest time keeping

devices that didn't use the observation of the
celestial bodies to calculate the passage of time.
The ancient Greeks, it is believed, began using
water clocks around 325 BC. Most of these clocks
were used to determine the hours of the night, but
may have also been used during daylight. An
inherent problem with the water clock was that
they were not totally accurate, as the system of
measurement was based on the flow of water
either into, or out of, a container which had
markers around the sides. Another very similar
form was that of a bowl that sank during a period
as it was filled of water from a regulated flow. It is
known that water clocks were common across the
Middle East, and that these were still being used in
North Africa during the early part of the twentieth-
century.

Mechanical Clocks

Mechanical clocks are not restrained by

natural conditions. They tell time with
remarkably improved precision, portability,
and downsizing technologies achieved
through long-running creative work on parts
and mechanisms. The mechanical clock used
the forced generated by the descent of two
suspended weights, one used to move the
clock and the other to strike the bell. The
mechanical clock adjusted time using a crown
wheel escapement. The foliot balance on the
top of the clock reciprocated in the horizontal
direction to control the wheel rotation at a
constant rate and prevent the weights from
falling all at once. The clock was designed to
adjust time reciprocating motion by changing
the weights and position of the weights hung
on the two ends of the foliot balance.
Quartz Clocks

The running of a Quartz clock is based on the

piezoelectric property of the quartz crystal. When
an electric field is applied to a quartz crystal, it
actually changes the shape of the crystal itself. If
you then squeeze it or bend it, an electric field is
generated. Quartz crystal clocks are some of the
most accurate and efficient types of watches today.
They use quartz crystal oscillators, which resonate
at a constant 32,768 Hz. Unlike most other
compounds, the quartz is stable and it does not
change frequencies when the temperature
changes, making it an ideal resonator for clocks and
watches.

Atomic Clocks

An atomic clock is a clock device that uses

an electronic transition frequency in
the microwave, optical, or ultraviolet region of
the electromagnetic spectrum of atoms as
a frequency standard for its timekeeping element.
Atomic clocks are the most
accurate time and frequency standards known, and
are used as primary standards for international time
distribution services, to control the wave frequency
of television broadcasts, and in global navigation
satellite systems such as GPS.

The principle of operation of an atomic clock is not based on nuclear physics, but rather on atomic
physics; it uses the microwave signal that electrons in atoms emit when they change energy levels.
The accuracy of an atomic clock depends on two factors. The first factor is temperature of the
sample atoms—colder atoms move much more slowly, allowing longer probe times. The second
factor is the frequency and intrinsic width of the electronic transition. Higher frequencies and
narrow lines increase the precision.
IV. Oldest and Modern Clocks

(Oldest Clocks)
Sundials and Obelisks

Sundials have their origin in shadow clocks, which were the first devices used for
measuring the parts of a day.The oldest known shadow clock is from Egypt, and was
made from green schist Ancient Egyptian obelisks , constructed about 3500 BC, are also
among the earliest shadow clocks. Egyptian shadow clocks divided daytime into 10
parts, with an additional four “twilight hours”—two in the morning, and two in the
evening. One type of shadow clock consisted of a long stem with five variable marks and
an elevated crossbar which cast a shadow over those marks. It was positioned eastward
in the morning, and was turned west at noon. Obelisks functioned in much the same
manner: the shadow cast on the markers around it allowed the Egyptians to calculate the
time. The obelisk also indicated whether it was morning or afternoon, as well as the
summer and winter solstices.

(Modern Clocks)

Modern clocks need three basic parts, namely, a

power source, a timebase, and a display. A power
source keeps the clock moving, whether it's a spring
in mechanical clocks or a battery in electronic clocks.
A timebase is also known as the oscillator. The
Radio Clock timebase needs to move continuously at a steady
frequency. This keeps the accuracy of the clock,
ensuring it measures seconds, minutes, and hours
the same way all the time.

Atomic Clock
V. References

 www.whatis.techtarget.com/definition/time
 www.timephysics.com
 www.ebay.com/what-are-the-different-types-of-clocks
 www.time-for-time.com/clocks.htm
 www.smashinglists.com
 www.timekeepingsite.org/clock.htm
 www.museum.seiko.cojp/en/knowledge/type/mechanical/index.html
 https;//en.m.wikipedia.org.