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Lab Report 3

The document is an end semester project report submitted by a group of students to their professor, Dr. Khalid Akhtar. It discusses the history of time measurement and proposes developing an innovative time measuring device. The document provides a brief history of ancient methods of telling time using astronomical objects and natural events, followed by early devices like candle clocks, water clocks, hourglasses, and mechanical clocks. It notes that modern clocks and watches now provide highly accurate timekeeping. The proposed project would develop a new system using a motor and gears to measure time accurately.

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57 views3 pages

Lab Report 3

The document is an end semester project report submitted by a group of students to their professor, Dr. Khalid Akhtar. It discusses the history of time measurement and proposes developing an innovative time measuring device. The document provides a brief history of ancient methods of telling time using astronomical objects and natural events, followed by early devices like candle clocks, water clocks, hourglasses, and mechanical clocks. It notes that modern clocks and watches now provide highly accurate timekeeping. The proposed project would develop a new system using a motor and gears to measure time accurately.

Uploaded by

Altaf
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST)

SMME

End Semester Project Report

COURSE: Introduction to Engineering

SUBMITTED TO: Dr. Khalid Akhtar

SECTION : ME-10 A

GROUP MEMBERS:
Arfa Eeman
Abdull Rehman Ali
Altaf Ahmad
Zain ul Abidin
Zain Rasool
Introduction:
An end semester project was assigned to our group by Dr. Khalid Akhtar. The task is to
make an innovative time measuring device, a device which can measure time accurately.
History of Time Measuring Devices:
Time is a very complex physical quantity to define. But a simple definition by a physicist
John Wheeler of time describes it as follows: “the physical quantity which prevents everything
from happening at once is time”. So, time is actually the physical quantity which differs
between occurrence of different events. Whatever its definition may be but the significance of
time cannot be underestimated. Time is the most important physical quantity. So, there is a
great need of a device which can measure time in helping determine when to do a task.
In modern day mechanical or digital clocks and watches are used to keep track of time.
But going back to the old ages, a number of devices can be found which were used to keep
track of the time. A brief history of a few of the timekeeping devices is as follows:
(1): Time-Measuring Methods in Ancient days:
In the old ages, before the invention of any time keeping device, the astronomical
objects like the sun, moon and the stars were used to keep track of time. Or the natural events
like the changing of seasons
(2): Candle Clocks:
One of the earliest mentioned timekeeping devices in history are the candle clocks. It
basically consisted of six candles made from wax, each around 12 inches high and of uniform
thickness. The candle was marked at every inch. These candles could burn for almost four
hours, when the candle burnt for one mark, it represented 20 minutes.
(3): Water Clocks:
Around 1500 BC, the water clocks were invented to measure time. These devices relied
on the steady flow of water from one container to the other. Measurements were marked on
the container for regular intervals. And as the water level lowered in that container, it
represented the passage of time.
(4): Hour Glass or The Sand Glass:
A special container made of glass was used, which consisted of two equally made parts
of glass. One was placed upside down on the other, the necks of these containers were made
very thin according to the requirement. Actually, the whole container was made into one piece
but it only appeared to be made of two parts. Sand was filled inside this container. And it was
allowed to fall from one container to the other, slowly falling through the thin neck. It could
accurately measure the timing of one event. As the sand filled in one part, it was simply placed
upside down and again the measurement of time started.
(5): Earlier Mechanical Clocks:
The mechanical clocks replaced the old hour glasses and the water clocks. The first
mechanical clock to have been invented in later parts of 13th century. They were very large in
size and were placed in large towers of the cities. However, their accuracy was not very reliable.
And they were far too big for domestic use.
(6) Modern Day Clocks and Wrist Watches:
In the modern day, the clocks and wrist watches are used which have a very small
margin of error in accuracy and are the most reliable devices for timekeeping. These clocks and
wrist watches are both digital and mechanical and can accurately measure the time for a whole
day (24 hours).
(7) Atomic Clock:
Atomic Clock is the most accurate timekeeping device invented yet. They can measure
the precise length of a second (which is the SI unit of time). International System of Units (SI)
defines second as the time which is taken by a Caesium-133 atom in a precisely defined state to
oscillate exactly.
In an atomic clock, the oscillation of atoms like the pendulum in a conventional
pendulum clock. But the atomic clocks are much more precise than the conventional clocks
because atomic oscillations have a much higher frequency and are much more stable.
Working:
We have devised a system of a motor and a number of gears. A motor

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