SUNDIAL

Karis Katekovit Yonlada Nawilaijaroen

Varun Saketharam Nitinun Yotsakulsate
Suchanuch Putaprapasri Astronomy 1202
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. History of time
2. Early Instrumentation
3. Sundial water clock and sand clock
4. Comparison diagram
5. Principle of sundials
6. Materials for Sundials
7. Procedure for Sundials
8. Accuracy of sundials
9. Advantages and disadvantages of sundials
 History of TIME

In early times, people did not have a fixed schedule of performing any activities.
Anything people did were based on their wish.
Later on, people became more organized; they start inventing time measuring devices
Egyptian invented a time measuring device called obelisk
Pyramid-like structure
Other time measuring devices.
EARLY INSTRUMENTATION
Some of the most important time measuring devices:

1. Sand clock
2. Water clock
3. Sundial
SUNDIAL, WATER CLOCK AND SAND CLOCK
Sundial:

Depends on the relative position of Sun during the day for time measurement. (latitude)
Time is observed from shadow casts of the sun.
Can be of many types:
Horizontal
Vertical
Equatorial
Sundial, water clock and sand clock
Water clock:

Relied on the constant flow of water

Constant pressure is needed.
Time is measured from the water completely falling into the other half.
Based on the principle of Torricelli's law
Theorem about fluid dynamic
Relationship between the speed of flowing fluid and height of fluid falling
Sundial water clock and sand clock
Sand clock:

Time measuring depends on the gravity that acts on the sand

Only measures time intervals and not time of the day.
The interval depends on:
Sand coarseness
Sand quantity
Bulb size
Neck width
Comparison
summary
PRINCIPLE OF SUNDIAL
Sundial works on the Suns movement across the sky during the day.

For a sundial to be accurate:

The angle gnomon of the sundial makes with the plane has to be equal to the latitude of the
location from which the Sundial is used.
Shadow points in different direction depending on seasons if not calibrated to match the latitude.
Having Gnomon pointed to the true north gives consistent time measure from anywhere it is
measured.
MATERIALS
1. 13.75 degree paper gnomon (printed)
2. Paper sundial (printed)
3. Scissor
4. Glue
5. paper box
6. Color pens and decorations
Procedures
1) Print a sundial and a gnomon with a latitude of 13.75 degrees
(Bangkoks latitude is approx 13.75 degree)
2) Cut the sundial and the gnomon out
3) Glue them onto a hard paper or a paper box
4) Assemble them such that the gnomon is on the middle
where it says, True North.
5) Decorate the Sundial
ACCURACY OF SUNDIAL
second half of 19th century, sundial and
local time were basically the same
these day, people create time zone system which separate by nation.
Standard time of each country
daylight saving time where clock reset one hour forward in summer and back one hour in winter
While sundial times still the same which changes according from the longitude of difference location.
ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES of sundial
Bibliography
http://www.math.nus.edu.sg/aslaksen/projects/sundials/basic_concept_gnomon.html
http://wiki.dtonline.org/index.php/Sundials_and_Gnomons
http://www.sundials.co.uk/setup.htm
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/time-experience/
https://www.sciencealert.com/what-is-time-and-why-does-it-move-forward
http://www.yalescientific.org/2008/11/how-do-sundials-work/
https://sites.google.com/a/brvgs.k12.va.us/wh-14-sem-1-greece-ogm/water-clock
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_clock
http://www.ancient-origins.net/ancient-technology/ancient-invention-water-clock-001818
https://www.britannica.com/technology/sundial
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torricelli%27s_law
https://www.timecenter.com/articles/when-time-began-the-history-and-science-of-sundials/