Stopwatch

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/stopwatch

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the mechanical timing control?Two buttons traditionally control start, stop, and reset functions
2. What is the digital timing element?Crystal oscillator provides superior accuracy over mechanical systems
3. What is a stopwatch and how does it work?A stopwatch is a small device that counts time in seconds. It has a button to start, stop, and reset the timer, so you can see how long something takes.
4. How did stopwatches change from old to new?Old stopwatches used a spring and gears that you had to wind. New stopwatches use a crystal and tiny computer chips, which make them much more accurate.

Mainspring: A coiled spring that stores mechanical energy to power a clockwork mechanism.
Crystal Oscillator: An electronic circuit that uses the mechanical resonance of a vibrating crystal to create an electrical signal with a precise frequency.
Propagation of Uncertainty: A method used in science to calculate the uncertainty in a result based on the uncertainties of the input measurements.