Mechanical Clock Social Impact Analysis Paper
One of the most important technological innovations ever created: the clock. Seemingly ordinary to us modern people, who have clocks and watches visible all around us- the timepiece revolutionized the world, allowing events to occur at pre-determined moments and allowing people to recognize their labor and lives in a different way, no other invention has changed the world so profoundly.
The invention of the mechanical clock heralded a new era in the quest for precise time measurement.
One of the first attempts to measure time was the Sundial Clock, time was read based on the orientation of a shadow cast to the opposite direction of sunshine, telling time was impossible when the sun had set.
The Clepsydra was an attempt to replace the Sundial Clock. The working principle was based on the fact that water in a bowl would flow through an opening at a reasonably consistent pace, it could tell the month of the year by series of water levels marked on the inside of the device, it could not provide time in hours. Then came a clock, which was driven by falling weights, this offered more accurate time measurement than the Clepsydra, and could fit into smaller dimensions. Coiled springs had a similar effect as the Clepsydra and required even less area.
The methods for using falling weights improved gradually until the invention of the escapement.
The mechanical clock is an adaptation of the Chinese water clock, said to be invented by Yi Xing, a Chinese Buddhist Monk and mathematician of the Tang Dynasty (618-907), operated with water steadily dripping on a wheel that made a full revolution every 24 hours.
The key invention in 13th century Europe, which brought about the advancement in timekeeping, is the invention of the verge escapement with foliot, the core component of the early mechanical clock, which worked by transferring energy to the timekeeping element and allowed the counting of the number of oscillation, using gravity as its primary source of energy. The verge and foliot may have been applied first to regulate the work and prayer of monks. But very soon it was regulating all the aspects of human life and eventually forced a rationalization of the variable or temporal hours themselves
The need for accurate time keeping became crucial in post Renaissance Europe, as the population grew at a rapid rate and achieving order in everyday life became a necessity.
Following this invention, people in medieval Europe could become aware of time since clocks were originally controlled by the religious institutions as it was needed to regulate daily prayer and work schedules strictly. Monasteries broadcast important times and durations with bells, rung by hand or a mechanically device, such as a falling weight. This religious necessity was a pivotal factor in the development of clocks..
The economic importance and application took roots at a slow pace, coordinating market times and other labor processes. In the 16th century, these adaptations transformed into a more viable work force and hence; economic growth especially with …
