How a Modern Clock Works
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Piezoelectricity
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The majority of modern clocks use tiny slices of quartz crystal to keep time. Quartz is a piezoelectric material. When it is jolted or bent, it produces an electric charge. Similarly, when it is charged with electricity, it bends. The crystal in a modern clock is cut to a very precise size so that it vibrates at a particular rate. Clocks use those vibrations to calculate time.
Quartz Oscillator
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The quartz crystal inside a clock is part of a circuit called an oscillator, which is designed to vibrate continuously. The circuit charges the quartz crystal with a small burst of electricity. The quartz bends, then releases, sending out its own electric charge. The oscillator amplifies and reinforces the vibrations of the quartz crystal, creating a continuous vibration. The quartz "rings" out constantly at a preset rate, much like a guitar with feedback.
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Counting the Vibrations
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The clock has a small computer, which counts the vibrations. Because the quartz vibrates at a preset rate, the computer can calculate how long a second, minute or hour is by counting the number. It then uses this data to display the time. Time can be displayed in any way the clock maker wants to. Some modern clocks use LED or LCD screens to create a digital image of the time. Others use an old analog dial, which uses a motor to spin second, minute and hour hands around at a certain rate.
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