Talk:Clock

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Comment

"A clock is an instrument to indicate, keep, and co-ordinate time." Speling12345 (talk) 8:28, 13 December 2013 (UTC)

Ticking

Mention some clocks make ticking.

And mention e.g.,

"A ticking clock in any part of your home will affect you but the worst place to have one is on your bedside table, or anywhere in your bedroom. You will be exposed to the sound during all the hours of sleep." Jidanni (talk) 13:09, 14 December 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Inaccurate claim about functionality of modern clocks

The article states "The timekeeping element in every modern clock is a harmonic oscillator,", referencing [3] (Marrison, Warren (1948). "The Evolution of the Quartz Crystal Clock" (PDF). Bell System Technical Journal. 27 (3): 510–588.).

the "harmonic oscillator" however is a very particular concept that generated sinusoidal waves, whereas many clocks today are based on counting fast paced rectangular oscillations, which stem from "an oscillator", but not necessarily the "harmonic oscillator". I also could not find a supporting passage in the cited reference. 131.169.132.197 (talk) 14:28, 3 January 2023 (UTC)[reply]

The crystal oscillator itself is a harmonic oscillator producing a sine wave output. The sine wave is then converted into a square wave to drive the later stages of the electronics (counter etc). --Roly (talk) 15:41, 3 January 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Agree. The oscillations are sinusoidal, generated by the sinusoidal (harmonic) mechanical vibrations of the crystal. --Chetvorno^TALK 18:14, 3 January 2023 (UTC)[reply]

I added 3 citations to the article to support the sentence that "The timekeeping element in every modern clock is a harmonic oscillator" --Chetvorno^TALK 05:53, 5 January 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Timepiece

I know there were 3 cites to books 50-150 years old that claimed to show 'timepiece' is a general synonym to clock as any measurer of time (chronometer or to get really archaic horologium). They were all badly taken. 2 were inaccessible but the remaining one has nothing on timepiece at the page cited and every other use of timepiece in the book is either referring to a mechanical clock or specifically the part of the clock displaying the time. The other two, even if they do say something like the poster was claiming, are highly unauthoritative. You could restore it with something better like Merriam-Webster's bad definition or even one of the senses in the _OED_. I think doing so would still be a mistake.

In modern informal use, watches are timepieces. Pocket watches are timepieces. Desk clocks might be a timepiece. Cell phones are never a timepiece and they don't include a timepiece, even if they have a clock. Grandfather clocks are never a timepiece, even if you call the display mechanism its timepiece like the 19th century source did. You guys all already know this.

Chronometer is an uncommon but general term inclusive of all timekeeping devices. Timepiece ain't, even if the complaint in the archives was badly taken about how it used to only mean nonsounding clocks. — LlywelynII 09:43, 16 August 2023 (UTC)[reply]