A stopwatch is a variant of the traditional watch. Its function is to measure time but with a precision greater than that of the clock. Both one and the other can be in the same device, but while the watch allows us to know what time of day we are, the stopwatch has the function of measuring time accurately.
The origin of the term
The word stopwatch is made up of two terms, chrono and meter
The word chrono comes from Greek mythology, specifically from Crono, a titan who descended from Gea and Uranus and who was the patron of crops and who in our civilization is considered the symbol of time. On the other hand, the term meter comes from metron, which means measure. In this way, its etymological meaning corresponds to the use made of it in communication.
The use of stopwatches
We can use a stopwatch in very different circumstances: to control study time, to measure a procedure related to technology or in relation to sports activity. On the other hand, this time meter has two variants: manual or electric. This distinction is important, as manual timing is not 100% accurate and only an electric chrono can guarantee accurate time measurement.
Timing in athletics
In athletics competitions it is necessary to establish the athlete's brand with complete precision. The accuracy of the time has a double function: to determine with precision the classification of the competitors and to establish the ranking in a rigorous way and without margin of error. When electronic chronometers did not exist, in athletic competitions the judges had to use the manual chronometer, which generated an excessive margin of error, since it must be taken into account that in some races the tenths and the hundredths can be decisive.
The idea of timing races was incorporated in the 18th century and this practice was applied to horse racing as well.
In the early years of the 20th century, athletics competitions incorporated fairly precise timers (the marks were set to 1/5 of a second). This advance in measurement was insufficient and, in fact, in the 1932 Olympic Games in Los Angeles there was a strong controversy in some speed competitions. In the late 1930s the electronic stopwatch was incorporated into the Olympic Games for athletic competitions and for all sports in general.
In popular races that are currently organized, runners usually have a chip incorporated into their shoe that allows establishing a precise timing system and through which it is possible to keep track of the mark obtained and the position in the race (this aspect is relevant if we take into account that there are competitions with thousands of participants).
Photos: iStock - lovro77 / Image_Source_
