Different types of clocks have been used for years by different civilizations to check time. In the past, the ancient Egyptian time capturing system used shadow cast by a stone pillar to tell time. Today we use modern atomic oscillations counted billions of times per second. The journey and the history of timekeeping is an interesting story that involves many interesting and fascinating facts. Here is a journey through the different types of clocks, their functioning and some amazing facts that make them interesting.

Sundials - The Original Clocks
Water Clocks (Clepsydra) - Time Flowing Like Water
Candle Clocks - Burning Time
Mechanical Clocks - The Gear Revolution
Pendulum Clocks - Swinging Into Precision
Quartz Clocks - Vibrations in a Crystal
Modern Atomic Clocks
Digital and Smart Clocks - The Connected Age

Sundials - The Original Clocks

One the oldest clocks in human history, Sundials were used by Babylon and Egyptians to catch time through shadow casting. The ancient known subdials date back to 3500-1500 BCE.

Despite this, they remained the primary timekeeping tool across many civilisations for over 3,000 years. Fun fact: the phrase 'making hay while the sun shines' is thought to reflect the reality of sundial-dependent agricultural scheduling.

This clock monitors the movement of sun in the sky by projecting a shadow from a stationary arm (the gnomon) onto a calibrated face. Although sundials sound interesting in theory, they’ve a clear limitation that they can’t work during cloudy weather and their accuracy is also doubtful with latitude and season changes. Even though these clocks were not perfect, they kept being a major means of maintaining time for over 3,000 years.

Water Clocks (Clepsydra) - Time Flowing Like Water

Clepsydra, also known as the water clock, is a time capturing device that works based on controlling the flow of water from one vessel to another. Around 250 BCE, an ancient Greek astronomer Ctesibius made a very precise clepsydra by adding a float that maintained a steady water pressure which significantly increased precision. It is also history’s first regulated speech timer used by ancient Greek courts’ to limit the lawyer’s speaking time.

Candle Clocks - Burning Time

In the 17th century the candle clocks were used to measure time. A steady burning candle is used to measure time by marking it. This clock is known to be used by King Alfred the Great of England. He used a candle clock protected by a lantern to divide his day equally between praying, working, and studying. These clocks were not so precise and consistent due to the dependency on the wax quality and various other features that made them unreliable compared to modern standards.

Mechanical Clocks - The Gear Revolution

The mechanical clock was invented around the 13th century in medieval Europe. These clocks were a transformational invention in our civilization. These clocks were not dependent on sunlight or water. They worked by releasing energy in precise, regulated pulses using an escapement mechanism and falling weight. In the 14th century, many European countries started building clock towers to symbolize civic pride. These clocks were huge in size, mostly mounted on church towers.

Pendulum Clocks - Swinging Into Precision

Christiaan Huygens patented the pendulum clock in 1656. He used Galileo's discovery of isochronism of swinging pendulums to create this clock. As per the isochronism theory the pendulum of fixed length takes the same time to complete a swing, no matter how far or near it oscillates. This property of the simple pendulum created an accurate clock which completes oscillations equals to the seconds per day. This clock was the most accurate tool in timekeeping for almost 300 years.

Quartz Clocks - Vibrations in a Crystal

The quartz clock was commercially developed and introduced in the 1030s. This clock works on the piezoelectric property of quartz crystals, which vibrate at an exceptionally constant frequency of typically 32,768 Hz when electrical current is applied. These vibrations are measured electronically by an integrated circuit to send one electric pulse per second to a motor, which moves the watch hand. This technology made accurate clocks available and affordable to everyone.

Modern Atomic Clocks

The modern atomic clocks are highly accurate clocks that measure time by monitoring the precise resonance frequencies (vibrations) of atoms, typically cesium or rubidium.

Digital and Smart Clocks - The Connected Age

Digital clocks show time in numbers. They were invented in the year 1970. All our new age smart devices like phones, tablets, laptops have digital clocks. Another type of watch which we commonly see in trend is a smart watch. Smart watches offer us an option to connect to the internet that adjusts the time zones, daylight saving, and even leap seconds. They are integrated with the health monitoring systems that can collect our data like heart rate. We also use them for communications and GPS. They are highly convenient and technologically advanced.

Frequently Asked Questions about Different Types of Clock

1. Who invented the first mechanical clock?

The mechanical clock is reported to have been invented in Europe in the 14th century by unknown craftsmen. There is not a single inventor of mechanical clocks.

2. How accurate is a modern atomic clock?

The modern atomic clocks are highly accurate to about one second in 300 million years. They calculate the time by monitoring the vibrations of atoms.

3. Why do pendulum clocks stop when moved?

Moving the pendulum clocks makes the pendulum swing unevenly. This disrupts its mechanical energy resulting in the disturbance in its motion that leads it to stop.