atomic clock
noun
: a precision clock that depends for its operation on an electrical oscillator regulated by the natural vibration frequencies of an atomic system (such as a beam of cesium atoms)
Examples of atomic clock in a Sentence
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Rubidium is found in the earth’s crust alongside lithium and is used in technologies such as atomic clocks, motion sensors, signal generators, and GPS equipment—technologies that all rely on the hyperfine transition of electrons in rubidium atoms to keep time.
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IEEE Spectrum, 11 Feb. 2025
However, compared to a quantum clock, atomic clocks are as accurate as a one-dollar antique pocket watch that's been whacked several times with a coal hammer.
—David Szondy, New Atlas, 12 Jan. 2025
At their core, atomic clocks and nuclear clocks work using the same principle.
—Allison Parshall, Scientific American, 11 Sep. 2024
And make no mistake, even cesium atomic clocks are stunningly accurate.
—IEEE Spectrum, 24 June 2021
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IEEE Spectrum, 11 Feb. 2025
However, compared to a quantum clock, atomic clocks are as accurate as a one-dollar antique pocket watch that's been whacked several times with a coal hammer.
—David Szondy, New Atlas, 12 Jan. 2025
At their core, atomic clocks and nuclear clocks work using the same principle.
—Allison Parshall, Scientific American, 11 Sep. 2024
And make no mistake, even cesium atomic clocks are stunningly accurate.
—IEEE Spectrum, 24 June 2021
See All Example Sentences for atomic clock
Cite this Entry
“Atomic clock.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/atomic%20clock. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
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