How does your smartphone know your location? - Wilton L. Virgo
855,786 Views
23,565 Questions Answered
TEDEd Animation
Let’s Begin…
GPS location apps on a smartphone can be very handy when mapping a travel route or finding nearby events. But how does your smartphone know where you are? Wilton L. Virgo explains how the answer lies 12,000 miles over your head, in an orbiting satellite that keeps time to the beat of an atomic clock powered by quantum mechanics.
How do scientists build atomic clocks in a laboratory?
Sign in to answer questionAbout TED-Ed Animations
TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »
Meet The Creators
- Educator Wilton L. Virgo
- Animator Nick Hilditch
- Script Editor Alex Rosenthal
- Narrator Addison Anderson
