Oscillations

General Oscillation information

Why is the physics of oscillations important to understading how we measure time?

This is because many of the modern devices that time in measured by use simple harmonic oscillations to keep track of the time that is past. For instance, the oscillation of an early weight driven clock were used to count off each second as it passed by and this concept has been extended into weight driven pendulum clock, spring loaded clocks, and even quartz wristwatches. Also, the oscillations of the cesium atom are now used to produce the most accurate way of measuring time in history.

If friction and any forcing terms are neglected then a very simple differential equation is produced that models simple harmonic motion.

After a lot of calculus, this equation is solved to produce a sinusoid of the form x(t)=A*sin(w*t+B). I won't go into the significance of this equations but will say that the people that design clocks use this solution to engineer the most accurate piece of clockwork they can.