Why Does a Clock Make a Ticking Sound?

In today’s world, we have smart and digital watches. However, many people still love wearing traditional ticking watches. These watches not only look stylish but also have a charming antique feel. You might have noticed the ticking sound these watches make. But have you ever wondered why they tick? This question was asked on social media, and an expert provided an interesting answer.

The Expert’s Explanation

An engineer named Animesh Kumar Sinha, who works for Indian Railways, explained it. He said that the ticking sound comes from the balance wheel’s two forks hitting a rotating wheel one after the other. Each tick represents a movement of the wheel controlled by these forks.

To break it down:

• There are two notches on the hand of the clock.
• These notches move in opposite directions.
• When the hand moves forward by a second or a minute, it moves from one notch to the other.
• This movement causes the forks to hit the rotating wheel, creating the ticking sound.

Visual Explanation | Ticking Sound

People often call this the “ticking” sound, but technically, it’s a “clicking” or “tapping” sound. This sound is known as the “sound of escapement.” In the picture below, you can see the yellow wheel at the bottom, called the escape wheel. The balance wheel’s two forks control its speed. This yellow wheel is connected to the clock’s hands, which show hours, minutes, and seconds.

If the clock runs fast, the balance wheel’s forks slow down its vibration speed to correct the time.

Modern Watches and Their Quietness | Ticking Sound

According to a report by bramwellbrown.com, some digital watches also make sounds similar to pendulum clocks, but they are much quieter. Sometimes, these sounds can be quite soothing. Nowadays, many watches are designed to be silent, making little to no noise. Some make a gentle humming sound like clouds passing by. Many people prefer these quiet watches.

Wall clocks, on the other hand, can be quite loud and sometimes annoying. If the noise bothers you, you can have the clock encased in glass, which reduces the sound significantly.

In conclusion, the ticking sound of traditional watches is due to the mechanical movement of the balance wheel and the escape wheel. While modern watches are often quieter, the charm of the ticking sound still attracts many people. This information is taken from hindi.news18.com and more about us.