Shadow Clocks

In ancient times, why would a cloudy day make it hard to know what time it was? 

• ​Without​ ​the​ ​sun,​ ​you​ ​can't​ ​use​ ​a​ ​shadow clock
• Shadow clocks DO NOT need sunlight
• Shadow clocks work no matter the weather

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

How many segments are on each finger?

• 2

• 3

• 4

• 1

What causes a shadow to change during the day?

• The sun's position in the sky

• Where the moon is located during the day

• When the sun sets

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

Say one morning the Earth suddenly stopped spinning. Would a shadow clock still work?

• Yes, because the sun still moves. 
• No, a​ ​shadow​ ​clock​ ​only​ ​works​ ​because​ ​the​ ​shadow​ ​moves​ ​across​ ​the​ ​dial. No shadow means no time.

BONUS:

The planet Mercury takes 176 days to do one spin around its pole. Compared to the Earth, would the Sun appear to move more quickly across Mercury's sky or more slowly? (Earth = 24 hours)

• The sun would move faster across Murcury's sky, because Murcury spins faster than the Earth.

• The​ ​Sun​ ​would​ ​appear​ ​to​ ​move​ ​much​ ​more​ ​slowly​ ​across​ ​Mercury's​ ​sky​ ​than​ ​Earth's​ ​sky, because​ ​Mercury​ ​spins​ ​much​ ​more​ ​slowly​ ​than​ ​the​ ​Earth.

• It would move at the same rate.

How does the sun's position in the sky change in 1 day?

• The sun rises in the north and sets in the south

• The sun comes up in the east, overhead at noon, and sets in the west

• The sun rises in the east, is in the west at noon, and sets in the north

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

In what direction does the sun appear to travel?

• from west to east

• from north to south

• from east to west

• from south to north

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

Who was the first to invent the clock method?

• Egyptians

• Sumerians

• Greeks

• Babylonians

Where does the sun rise? 

• North
• South
• East
• West

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

Where does the sun set? 

• North 
• South
• East
• West

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1