Temperature compensation Temperature compensation is a method of preventing or offsetting changes in the properties of a material in response to changes in temperature. When the temperature changes, simple properties such as length, volume, density, spring stiffness, strength of the material, and viscosity of lubricants are all affected. Each of these changing properties can affect the timekeeping accuracy of a clock. Both John Harrison and George Graham developed temperature-compensated pendulums, such as the gridiron and mercury pendulums, to overcome the change in length of the pendulum rod caused by change of temperature.
