Since counting time is a science, clocks, timers and timekeeping are all used in various aspects of science.
Experiments and procedures need to be timed accurately. Some are so precise that findings or effects may vary by a mere millisecond. However, the most important aspects of time in science are accuracy and reliability.
Have you ever wondered where the scientists shop for clocks and watches or how they use them? OnlineClock.net will dedicate this blog post to some of the various ways time is related to different aspects of science. So put on your pocket protectors everybody, and let’s get our geek on…
Before delving into the subject of current time-keeping devices, it is important to know what was “the” scientific standard for time-keeping in the past. According to a publication from The IEEE Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics and Frequency Control Society, the form of timing device used in the 1800s and early 1900s by scientists was a pendulum clock. At that time, the regular movement of the pendulum was the most reliable form of counting time forward. Scientists had to verbally count if they were counting seconds, as pendulum clocks certainly didn’t have a digital display like a modern stopwatch does. As we have written in previous blog posts, the 20th century’s progression in clock development brought the emergence of quartz. Today, quartz clocks, timers and stopwatches are what science labs keep as a staple. Pendulum clocks are only used when they’re the subject of the study, but not as the main time-keeping device.
Depending on the experiment or procedure performed, the type of timer or clock used in a science lab varies. However, many institutions require their devices to meet the National Institute of Science and Technology’s standards. Most supplies used have a digital display. The NIST has a lengthy publication including their “Guidelines and Quality Standards,” which prestigious science labs use in accordance with choosing their timepieces. There are several different places that scientists purchase their supplies. One of the most trusted names in the industry is Cole-Parmer. According to their website, the company began in 1955. It was the collaborative effort of Jerome Cole and John Parmer that brought high-quality products to some of the most prestigious labs in the country. In an instructional article intended for students at the Engineering Department at Purdue University, the Cole-Parmer digital hot plate is explained. Hot plates are commonly used in science, but scientists were using separate timers for a long time. Not only is it a convenience to have two devices in one, but the timer will also automatically shut off the hot plate. If a scientist were as disorganized as the professor in the movie “The Absentminded Professor,” this could probably prevent a disastrous lab fire. These hot plates aren’t a toy, though. Priced over $2,000 each, they definitely demand proper care and use!
A typical Centrifuge containing a built-in Timer
Cole-Parmer also sells regular timers and stopwatches for experiments that don’t involve chemistry. The timers in science labs must be quartz-powered for precision. For example, if a scientist wanted to see if a chimpanzee who skipped breakfast eats a pizza faster than one who did eat breakfast, a regular stop-watch timer would be sufficient. There are, of course, other devices aside from the hot plate that include a digital timer feature. One well-known science and testing lab accessory is the centrifuge. This machine is used for micro work and blood separation in laboratories. It separates particles based on their properties. Centrifugal force creates a certain level of RPMs, depending on how fast or slow the unit is programmed to operate. Scientists often have to use exact timing for centrifuges. This is how the built-in timer is beneficial. A tutorial published by the University InterAmericana of Puerto Rico explains the function of timing and the centrifuge. It is safe to say that any type of equipment that scientists use frequently in the lab contains a timer if timing is an essential part of the purpose of the device or processes.
One of the most common forms of experiments that last longer is a drug reaction test. A good example of this is noted in an experiment summary from a student at Hope College. The research project was titled “Nanoparticle-enhanced Breakdown of Penicillin Antibiotic in Water: Implications for Fate of Drugs in the Environment.” In the summary of the paper, the importance of timing is obvious. The student performing this experiment was testing penicillin reactions with various element compounds that are commonly found in the environment. The experiment sought to prove that penicillin could degrade when exposed to certain substances that contain these element and compounds. Without a timer, it would be difficult to gauge how quickly the penicillin degrades in such an experiment.
The 24 Hour Controller Power Strip - an important timer for Science experiments!
Another type of device used in science labs that uses a timer is a 24-hour controlled power strip. Devices such as pumps, fans, cooling or heating mechanisms can all be plugged into the strip and programmed to shut off or turn on at specific times for specific intervals in a 24-hour period. If a scientist wanted to cool off and heat up a room to test the reaction of a mammal being observed for physiological changes, this would be a beneficial timing and power device to have. Since many experiments and tests in science require exact timing, these strips are commonly used. They may also simply be used to turn on or off the lights at certain times. A description of this device as seen on ScienceLab.com shows that it has standards that are provided and approved by the NIST. As mentioned before, this is the main agency that determines whether devices are acceptable or approved for scientific purposes.
Perhaps one of the most common things you think of in relation to science is space. For decades, astronauts have worked hard to plan and execute trips to outer space. Have you ever wondered how they keep time there? There certainly are no time zones that far away. So, how do they tell time way out there? They use clocks! Clocks that are specially-designed for spacecraft. The clocks on these enormous space-bound structures have to be very precise and accurate. This is because the ground control operators on Earth need to keep regular contact with the spacecraft. To do this, they have to determine how the Earth is spinning. It rotates, but it also spins. The scientists have to calculate the location and speed of spinning in relation to the spacecraft in order to see it when alignment permits, according to a Q&A published by NASA. They are also able to calculate how far or close the spacecraft is with the help of time. Astronauts aboard the spacecraft have to take turns sleeping and operating the controls, so the clock is also necessary on board!
Ever heard of the Interplanetary Internet ?
The University of Delaware talks about the IPIN, which is the Interplanetary Internet and issues with timing issues between the IPIN locations on Earth and Mars, as well as the space vehicles between them. The university is working with Jet Propulsion Labs and NASA to address the timekeeping issues that exist for future Mars expeditions. Scientists are trying to change the system so that Earth control isn’t necessary in the Deep Space Network, or DSN.
These are all things to be considered for the future, which will see technology expand by leaps and bounds, including technology related to clocks, stopwatches and timers.
Scientists are even considering a new form of time study, which involves possibly compacting matter and sending it into the past or future, thanks to the efforts of an “Atom Smasher,” which is explained in a news publication by the University of Florida.
But that’s a subject, like so many subjects relating to the use of clocks and timers in science, worthy of further reportage in other blog posts.
Until then, Clock Fans, we thank you for staying with us, while we’ve vented our inner geek. OnlineClock.net now gives you permission to remove those pocket protectors, at least temporarily, until next time…
How Clocks And Timers Are Used In Science is a post from: Alarm Clock Blog, the official blog of the original Online Alarm Clock.
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