Mondo Knows Facts
Quartz clocks keep time by measuring vibrations in a crystal
Warren Marrison built the first quartz crystal clock at Bell Telephone Laboratories in 1927
Quartz timepieces rely on the piezoelectric effect, where applying electricity to a tiny quartz crystal causes it to vibrate at a precise frequency of 32,768 hertz. Electronic circuits count these vibrations to track seconds accurately. Quartz technology replaced mechanical pendulum clocks and transformed wristwatches, computers, and digital timers.
Where this comes from
NIST Time and Frequency Division
Facts that can change over time are reviewed and updated. If something here looks wrong, Mondo would rather know than be confidently incorrect.
Go further
More facts like this
Quartz crystals vibrate at precise frequencies when electrifiedPassing electric current through quartz produces 32,768 precise oscillations per secondThe microwave oven was discovered accidentally by radar engineer Percy SpencerA melting candy bar near an active radar magnetron tube led to the commercial microwave oven in 1945Fly-by-wire replaces mechanical flight controls with electronic computer signalsComputers interpret pilot input to adjust aircraft flight surfaces via hydraulic actuatorsThe Concorde flew passenger flights at twice the speed of soundOgival delta wings allowed Concorde to cruise efficiently at Mach two over ocean routesModern wind turbines generate electricity using aerodynamic rotor bladesAirflow turning aerodynamic lift blades drives a generator to produce high-voltage powerHydroelectric power stations turn flowing water into electrical currentGravitational potential energy of dammed water rotates massive hydraulic turbines and generators
Tags: clocks, quartz, timekeeping
Quartz clocks keep time by measuring vibrations in a crystal: the short answers
- Where does this come from, and can I check it?
- Warren Marrison built the first quartz crystal clock at Bell Telephone Laboratories in 1927. The figure is taken from NIST Time and Frequency Division, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.
- Is this really a technology fact?
- Yes. It sits on the Technology shelf, one of 1,090 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.
- What else can I read about it?
- The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.
