How Do Clock Gears Work?

A Brief History of Clocks

An essential item in the modern household, you won't walk into many homes that will be without a clock. Ancient peoples had more primitive means of measuring the course of the day. Sundials were used to measure the hours between the rising and setting sun, while hourglasses were formed to measure increments of minutes and hours. Despite humble beginnings, clocks have advanced stupendously, offering many more features for convenience. Clocks are such a common part of our daily life, but have you wondered how a clock worked when you were counting the minutes until class was over?

What is a Clock Gear?

A clock gear is what makes the minute, hour, and second hands on an analog clock rotate at steady, correct paces. The gears in a clock are basic cogs. Cogs are bars or wheels with teeth-like projections on the edges; the cogs are set up so that the projected teeth match, and as one turns, it pushes the others to turn at the same pace.

The Gears Put to Work

Most analog clocks are battery powered, some may be powered by electricity, and there are still clocks made that work on mechanical power, or the winding and controlled release of the wound-up pressure.

Whatever the power source, the power pushes the gears into motion. The gears move simultaneously, each turning the same degree per second as the next gear.

The hands of the clock are attached to its own gear, moving it to turn at the rate determined by which hand it is. Different cog sizes and different teeth sizes help to differentiate the turning time of each hand.