Has a Pendulum Clock?

The advantage of a pendulum for timekeeping is that it is a harmonic oscillator: It swings back and forth in a precise time interval dependent on its length, and resists swinging at other rates.

How do pendulum clocks work?

A pendulum works by converting energy back and forth, a bit like a rollercoaster ride. When the bob is highest (furthest from the ground), it has maximum stored energy (potential energy). ... So as the bob swings (oscillates) back and forth, it repeatedly switches its energy back and forth between potential and kinetic.

Who is responsible for pendulum clocks?

The pendulum clock invented by Christiaan Huygens in 1658 became the world's standard timekeeper, used in homes and offices for 270 years, and achieved accuracy of about one second per year before it was superseded as a time standard by the quartz clock in the 1930s.