MadSci Network: Astronomy
Query:

Subject: How do you measure the inaccuracy of the most accurate clock?

Date: Mon Jan 24 05:25:14 2000
Posted by Gil Theissen
Grade level: nonaligned School: No school entered.
City: East Brunswick State/Province: New Jersey Country: usa
Area of science: Astronomy
ID: 948713114.As
Message:

The new cesium fountain clock is supposed to be the most accurate time 
keeping device we have--accurate to one sec. in 20 million years. But if 
we can measure how inaccurate it is, doesn't that imply that somewhere 
there is a device or standard that is even MORE accurate (or even 
perfectly accurate?) against which we measure the inaccuaracy of the 
cesium clock? It almost sounds like a paradox to me--how do they know?


Re: How do you measure the inaccuracy of the most accurate clock?

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