[time-nuts] Why 9,192,631,770 ??

[Jerry Mulchin]

Yes, but eventually the time must be corrected with leap seconds because of all the
randomness that accumulates. It is interesting that the leap seconds correction is 
always a positive number. We never seem to gain time that I'm aware of. argh....

Jerry

At 05:35 PM 5/8/2012, you wrote:
>Because the length of the second is essentially arbitrary. There is
>nothing 'fundamental' or 'universal' about it. It is essentially derived
>from the average rotational period of the earth, which is a random number.
>
>When the number of cycles was defined, they picked the nearest whole
>number to an integral number of cycles, and re-defined the second to be
>that.
>
>-John
>
>================
>
>
>
>
>
>> I've gotten myself confused ...easily done when you're not a physicist
>> (just
>> a lowly EE.)   :-)
>>
>> I am studying cesium clock design and trying to learn how these complex
>> instruments actually work. I seem to be getting the understanding on the
>> 'workings' of the clock ...the tube, the counters, disciplining, etc.
>>
>> But I have a higher level question I need help understanding. (Remember
>> ...not a physicist here.)
>>
>> Who decided 9,192,631,770 cycles of 'light' constitute one second?  I
>> don't
>> mean who the person was, or which company or institution or when.
>>
>> I ask, why not ...771 cycles ...or ...669 cycles????
>>
>> What I need is the understanding of what a 'second' is defined to be
>> without
>> having the definition of a 'second' to begin with.
>>
>> This seems all so recursive to me.
>>
>> Thank you.  (remember - - you guys said there were no dumb questions - -
>> or
>> at least, we should ask them anyway.)
>>
>>
>>
>>
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>
>
>
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Jerry Mulchin