The faster it beat, the faster the wheels would be moved, and the faster the hands would turn on the face.
Just so: the clock would be faster in time when the pendulum beat quicker, and slower in time when the pendulum beat slower.
But how could I find this out, father?
This way. It is ascertained that in London a pendulum must be 391⁄7 inches from the top to the middle of the swinging-bob to beat a true second at a time.
Then I am sure the London pendulum will not be pulled down so hard at the equator, and so it will be longer coming and going.
What must I do, then, to make my London pendulum beat seconds on the equator?
Why, shorten it a little bit.
Yes; or, what is the same thing, move up the weight at the end of the pendulum a little. I must shorten it one-tenth of an inch, or else it will lose sixteen hours in the year.
Then all the clocks carried to Melbourne from London will be wrong.
Will they go too fast or too slowly in Victoria?