Alarm Clocks

[Sasha13]

Why are so many alarm clock "snooze" buttons set to go off after nine minutes? Why not ten?

[Mattk]

........and why not adjustable ?

[Sasha13]

exactly!!! Surely it wouldn't be that difficult to invent a switch so that you could adjust them. But honestly - who thought of such a brilliant idea as the snooze button, and then decided to go off on one and set it for nine minutes???  

[Ouisch]

It dates back to the old analog clocks...the ideal time for a "snooze" period (without falling back into a deep sleep) was estimated to be between eight and twelve minutes.  When clockmakers tried to make a gear for ten minutes maximum, it was inprecise, and the snooze period ran from nine to "nine and some change."  By the time digital clocks were being designed, it was presumed that nine minutes was the target snooze time, and it has remained the standard ever since.

[5029]

Mine goes off after 8!

[Octavius]

Because digital clocks will recognise the number nine as being close to the tenth minute, but will not recognise 10 in the same way.  So, at the point just following the end of the 9th minute the electronic compnents click into place.  

If digital clocks were set for the 10 minute mark, they would need a lot more circuitry and hence be more expensive to make.

[toby19]

after ten mins you are seriously late for work. nine mins isnt as late so therefore nine not ten. it    comes from swiss watchmakers who  were attempting  to solve worker shortages and came up with simple take off  one minute answer. true story. possibly like the bible but tell enough peple and it could become fact.

[Dagman]

What is it with snooze button people? get up you lazy lot! LOL.