# Atomic Clock.



## arnisador (Sep 19, 2003)

My wife got me something I've been wanting--one of those "atomic clocks" that resets itself constantly to the correct time by radio waves (which doesn't make them atomic, but I don't care). I think it's very cool. In fact we got a second one and so finally there are two clocks in the house that show the same time!


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## Rich Parsons (Sep 19, 2003)

Arni,

They could still be atomic clocks, if the signal source is the atomic clock.

The question I have is what is the delay or lag, and is calculated into the transmission?


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## arnisador (Sep 19, 2003)

Heh. Let's see, the speed of light is about 2.9979E8 m/s, but that's in a vacuum... 

In fact it does check what region of the U.S. you're in.


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## Rich Parsons (Sep 19, 2003)

> _Originally posted by arnisador _
> *Heh. Let's see, the speed of light is about 2.9979E8 m/s, but that's in a vacuum...
> 
> In fact it does check what region of the U.S. you're in. *



Now you see the advantages of a good Mathematical / Science background.
Nice sig figs also. Thread drift, I once lsot a question on Quiz bowl because I gave too many sig fig for the announcer. They did not specify so I gave to what I knew. It was only 4 after the decimal yet it confused him. 

The things you remember


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## Phil Elmore (Sep 19, 2003)




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## arnisador (Sep 19, 2003)

Mr. Elmore, I think you just selected my Xmas present from my wife!


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## Phil Elmore (Sep 19, 2003)

It's not really an "atomic watch" (though for all I know they make them).  It's just that I'm such a nerd that I set my watch obsessively to the "official" time.


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## arnisador (Sep 19, 2003)

Well, now I'm disappointed.

Ah, a Yahoo! search on "atomic watch" gets many hits, and of course a variety of false positives! They're out there. You could get one and save yourself the trouble of setting it. I certainly will!

E.g.:
http://www.gadgets4sure.com/product.asp?ProductID=12889&DepartmentID=426


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