question about clocks and how they sync if put next to one another

[dennis11364]

is it true that clocks sync to one another if put next to one another? for example i turn on a watch, soon after i turn on another one. the second hand of both watches move at different times. however, if i put them next to one another for lets say, a few minutes, they move in unison. why does this happen, or does this have to do something with your brain and you only imagine it.

[ecoli]

I'm guessing the latter.

[mrblond5311]

is it true that clocks sync to one another if put next to one another? for example i turn on a watch, soon after i turn on another one. the second hand of both watches move at different times. however, if i put them next to one another for lets say, a few minutes, they move in unison. why does this happen, or does this have to do something with your brain and you only imagine it.

 

 

I might be wrong(won't be the last time) but I believe it has to do with the gravitational field being the same. I *believe* gravity slows time down (well clocks atleast) & the closer to earth you are the more of an effect gravity has. If you compared a clock in space to a clock on earth than the clock on earth would appear to run slower than the one in space;atleast to the observer. So I don't think it's really the clock's syncing together it's more because of the similar gravitational fields. Anyone else please feel free to be more in depth than I can. I'm sure there is a better way to explain this and possibly some links would help. Thanks!

[YT2095]

it was 1`st observed with Pendulum clocks, doing a search for "Entrainment" or "Sympathetic resonance" May give results?

[swansont]

It doesn't, in general, happen. As YT said, for a pendulum clock there may be some mechanical coupling that forces common-mode oscillation. (technically this could apply to all clocks, but it's hard to visualize what that would be for ones with which I work). e.g. you put the clocks next to each other and the motion couple through tiny vibrations in the floor or table.

 

Absent any coupling, two clocks at the same frequency will actually move out of sync. There will always be random frequency noise, and the phase (i.e. time) is the integral of frequency. When you integrate white noise you get random-walk noise, so two clocks that are synchronized will random-walk away from each other. You have to keep synchronizing the clocks.