How Atomic Clocks Help the World Stay in Sync
From atomic oscillations to global time standards, learn the basic concepts behind modern precision timekeeping.
Keeping Time with Stable Oscillations
Atomic clocks use the stable frequency of a specific transition within an atom as a timing reference. The modern definition of the second is tied to a specific transition frequency of the cesium atom.
High-precision time measurement is not only used in laboratories: communication networks, satellite navigation, and scientific research all rely on reliable time synchronization.
From Precision Timekeeping to Everyday Clocks
Atomic clocks in multiple laboratories around the world jointly contribute to the establishment of an international time scale. Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) provides a common baseline for civil time, and each location then displays local time according to time zone rules.
Your devices usually sync their clocks automatically over the network; the time zone setting determines how that moment is displayed as the local date and time.
Put it into practice
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