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A clock is an instrument to indicate, keep, and co-ordinate time.

The word clock


is derived ultimately (via Dutch, Northern French, and Medieval Latin) from the
Celtic words clagan and clocca meaning "bell". A silent instrument missing such
a mechanism has traditionally been known as a timepiece.[1] In general usage to
day a "clock" refers to any device for measuring and displaying the time. Watche
s and other timepieces that can be carried on one's person are often distinguish
ed from clocks.[2]
The clock is one of the oldest human inventions, meeting the need to consistentl
y measure intervals of time shorter than the natural units: the day, the lunar m
onth, and the year. Devices operating on several physical processes have been us
ed over the millennia. A sundial shows the time by displaying the position of a
shadow on a flat surface. There are a range of duration timers, a well-known exa
mple being the hourglass. Water clocks, along with the sundials, are possibly th
e oldest time-measuring instruments. A major advance occurred in Europe around 1
300 with the invention of the escapement, which allowed construction of the firs
t mechanical clocks, which used oscillating timekeepers like balance wheels.[3][
4][5][6] Spring-driven clocks appeared during the 15th century. During the 15th
and 16th centuries, clockmaking flourished. The next development in accuracy occ
urred after 1656 with the invention of the pendulum clock. A major stimulus to i
mproving the accuracy and reliability of clocks was the importance of precise ti
me-keeping for navigation. The electric clock was patented in 1840. The developm
ent of electronics in the 20th century led to clocks with no clockwork parts at
all.
The timekeeping element in every modern clock is a harmonic oscillator, a physic
al object (resonator) that vibrates or oscillates repetitively at a precisely co
nstant frequency.[4] This object can be a pendulum, a tuning fork, a quartz crys
tal, or the vibration of electrons in atoms as they emit microwaves. Analog cloc
ks usually indicate time using angles. Digital clocks display a numeric represen
tation of time. Two numeric display formats are commonly used on digital clocks:
24-hour notation and 12-hour
Sundials
Simple horizontal sundial
When the Sun is shining, its apparent position in the sky moves during a day, re
flecting the rotation of the Earth. Shadows cast by stationary objects move corr
espondingly, so their positions can be used to indicate the time of day. A sundi
al shows the time by displaying the position of a shadow on a (usually) flat sur
face, which has markings that correspond to the hours.[7] Sundials can be horizo
ntal, vertical, or in other orientations. Sundials were widely used in ancient t
imes.[8] With the knowledge of latitude, a well-constructed sundial can measure
local solar time with reasonable accuracy, within a minute or two. Sundials cont
inued to be used to monitor the performance of clocks until the modern era.[cita
tion needed] However, practical limitations, such as that sundials work only whe
n the Sun shines, and never during the night, encouraged the use of other techni
ques for measuring and displaying time.
Devices that measure duration, elapsed time and/or intervals
The flow of sand in an hourglass can be used to keep track of elapsed time.
Many devices can be used to mark passage of time without respect to reference ti
me (time of day, minutes, etc...) and can be useful for measuring duration and/o
r intervals. Examples of such duration timers are, candle clocks, incense clocks
and the hourglass. Both the candle clock and the incense clock work on the same
principle wherein the consumption of resources is more or less constant allowin
g reasonably precise, and repeatable, estimates of time passages. In the hourgla
ss, fine sand pouring through a tiny hole at a constant rate indicates an arbitr
ary, predetermined, passage of time, the resource is not consumed but re-used.
Water clocks

Main article: Water Clock


A scale model of Su Song's Astronomical Clock Tower, built in 11th century Kaife
ng, China. It was driven by a large waterwheel, chain drive, and escapement mech
anism.
Water clocks, also known as clepsydrae (sg: clepsydra), along with the sundials,
are possibly the oldest time-measuring instruments, with the only exceptions be
ing the vertical gnomon and the day counting tally stick.[9] Given their great a
ntiquity, where and when they first existed is not known and perhaps unknowable.
The bowl-shaped outflow is the simplest form of a water clock and is known to h
ave existed in Babylon and in Egypt around the 16th century BC. Other regions of
the world, including India and China, also have early evidence of

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