Chapter 614: 524 Atomic Clock – Redefining the Passage of Time
In scientific terms, it is a parameter used by humans to describe the process of material movement or the occurrence of events!
To understand the time represented by the current day more accurately, various timers were consequently invented, their fundamental principle being the calculation of the average time consumed during the operation of certain objects.
For example, the time it takes for a drop of water to fall, a handful of sand to run out, or a candle to burn down is used to divide seconds, minutes, and hours. However, such divisions are obviously not very precise, as the time it takes for each drop of water to fall cannot be exactly equal, inevitably resulting in significant errors.
Sean’s invention of the pendulum clock was undoubtedly more advanced, because according to the law of the pendulum, with the help of gravitational potential energy, the time each swing of the pendulum consumes is completely equal, and its energy consumption is very low. It only needs a spring to keep running for a long time.
Therefore, all that needed to be found was something that also possessed equitemporality but was more precise, to create a timer different from the pendulum clock.
Listening to Lynn’s explanation, Sean frowned. It sounded simple, but finding a suitable law of equitemporality was not an easy task.
“I can tell you about two things that have equitemporality. What you need to do is consider how to turn them into timers,” Lynn said with a smile.
Sean paused and looked at Lynn in amazement. He hadn’t expected that the Legendary Councilman had already found other equitemporal rules, and not just one, but two.
“First, it’s a type of quartz crystal made of silicon dioxide, which has an interesting property: when pressured externally, it generates an electric current on its surface.
If, conversely, positive and negative electric currents are introduced on either side of a quartz crystal, it will deform and oscillate at a specific frequency…”
Lynn concisely explained the operating principle of the quartz clock to Sean. Simply put, it used the characteristic of quartz crystals to oscillate continuously when alternating currents are applied to record time.
Since the vibration frequency of quartz crystals is very stable, normally, engineers, by controlling the cutting of the quartz and the electric current, would turn this device into a tuning fork, resonating at a frequency of 32,768 hertz per second.
If each vibration is used as a benchmark, then a quartz clock made using this principle could divide time down to one thirty-two thousand seven hundred sixty-eighth of a second.
Of course, the upper limit of the amplitude frequency of quartz crystals is far more than that; reaching ten thousand or even a million hertz per second is not impossible with sufficient technology.
After Lynn explained the principle of crystal vibration, Sean immediately became excited. Having made the pendulum clock, he naturally realized the importance of this thing in timekeeping.
Especially in terms of accuracy, it completely outclassed the pendulum clock.
It was foreseeable that his invention would become obsolete before it was even adopted.
Indeed, the insight and knowledge of a Legendary Councilman were not something that a formally trained Wizard like himself could match.
Sean’s face quickly changed from eager and excited to a look of resignation as he said with a wry smile, “Since you already have ideas and plans, why not just go ahead and create this quartz clock?”
Lynn had already found the most important equitemporal rule for the tuning fork, leaving only one problem to solve: how to record each vibration of the crystal.
He did not think that this problem would be difficult for Lynn, the Star of Magic.
Because the answer, even he could think of, was simple: since quartz can conduct electricity, just work on the electromagnetic signals!
“I’ve always believed that professional matters should be handled by professionals,” Lynn said smilingly.
If it had been just a few minutes earlier, Sean would have been happy to receive such praise from the Star of Magic, but now he was somewhat at a loss for words because Lynn had already explained the principle of the quartz clock very clearly, professionally enough to make him feel inept.
So, the only answer left was that the Legendary Councilman didn’t have much time to tinker with these gadgets, which is why he was letting him handle it.
Thinking this, Sean didn’t quite know how to react. If he could complete the quartz clock, he would undoubtedly receive a Morning Star Medal once more.
It was another timekeeping revolution as compared to the pendulum clock, enabling Wizards to precisely recognize extremely small time scales.
However, Lynn seemed to care so little about such honor that he simply tossed it to him.
It took Sean a while to adjust his mindset before nodding to Lynn’s request, realizing that no matter how it looked, this was a great opportunity.
Most importantly, if the quartz clock were invented by someone else, then his Morning Star Medal received for creating the pendulum clock would most likely be brought into question.
After all, compared to it, his pendulum clock was like a crude toy…
“Oh, you mentioned earlier that there’s another rule with equitemporality besides quartz crystal?” Sean asked with great curiosity.
“You should have read my paper ‘The World of Probabilities—Quantum Mechanics,’ haven’t you?” Lynn asked in return.
“I have read it, but I have not fully understood your theories on probability and duality,” Sean admitted, his face showing a bit of embarrassment.
“No matter, right now, I doubt anyone dares say they fully understand quantum mechanics!” Lynn said with a laugh.