| Wall Clocks home >
Wall Clocks Info Center > Stopwatch
Stopwatch
Click
here to see our selection of Stopwatch.
 A
stopwatch is designed to measure how much time has elapsed from
the exact second in which the stopwatch is activated and the exact
second in which the stopwatch is deactivated. It can be used for
more than track and field events. Stopwatches are used for such
events as skiing, swimming, bobsledding, boxing, (to time each round),
football etc. Think of any timed Olympic sport—a good stopwatch
is essential for the judging of it. Think of any other sport—a
stopwatch is usually somehow involved.
· A typical mechanical analog stopwatch.
The stopwatch is typically designed to start at the press the button
on top and to stop simply by pressing the same button a second time.
This will display the time elapsed between. Pressing the second
button in an analog stopwatch then resets the stopwatch to zero
and the stopwatch can be used all over again. The second button
on an analogue stopwatch is also used to record split times or time
lapses. When this button is pressed while the watch is running,
the display counting time freezes. However, somewhat miraculously,
the watch mechanism will continue running and be able to also record
total amount of elapsed time. Press the split button of your stopwatch
again and the watch to resumes the display of total time.
A mechanical stopwatch is powered by a main spring, the spring
needs to be periodically wound up.
· A typical digital electronic stopwatch
A typical digital electronic stopwatch is also easily available
which, due to the crystal oscillator timing element they are designed
with, digital electronic stopwatches are many times more accurate
than mechanical timepieces. A digital electronic stopwatch contains
a microchip, because of this they often include date and time-of-day
functions as well. Some of them may have an external connector,
allowing the stopwatch to be triggered by external events and therefore
measuring the amount of time that has elapsed far more accurately
than is possible by simply pressing buttons.
The digital electronic stopwatch is used when time must be measured
precisely and with the least amount of complications. Laboratory
experiments and major sporting events are good examples of times
when one would prefer a digital electronic stopwatch.
|
