If you’ve ever looked at a clock, you may have found the science behind it as interesting as I do. Throughout the history of humans, time has been important to keep track of. The clock is one of the most important inventions of all time. I had some questions about clocks that I had no idea about. How are they powered? How do they move? How are they made? This article will answer all of those questions that I initially had.
We will be discussing analog clocks which are the mechanical clocks that use the moving hands to tell time. The energy source that is used in analog clocks comes from the pendulum and weight design. The weight provides power to churn the pendulum to move along the clock. The weight is connected to a winding mechanism which is connected to the pendulum. The next component, the wheel, is used to churn the pendulum.
The ticking of a clock comes from the escapement piece(s). Two pallets are hitting the escape wheels to make the sound of ticking within the clock. The louder the clock, the more energy is used. A well-made clock has the ticking sound at a low volume.
The controller works as the brain of the clock. This determines the rate at which the clock moves. This is connected to the escapement. The controller is the actual pendulum of the clock. Energy released from the weight in a pulley-system distributes it (energy) onto the pendulum. The indicator of a clock are the hands of the clock on the dial, which we use to tell the time. Hopefully this information has helped you understand how clocks work. It sure did help me!
