How to build and use a simple sundial
  • 1. What is the gnomon on a sundial?
A) The decorative element
B) The base of the sundial
C) The part that casts the shadow
D) The hour markings
  • 2. What is needed to accurately calibrate a sundial?
A) The day of the week
B) True North
C) Magnetic North
D) The current temperature
  • 3. What is the 'style' of a sundial?
A) The overall design
B) The color of the hour markings
C) The gnomon's edge that casts the shadow
D) The material of the sundial
  • 4. What is the equinox?
A) When the moon is full
B) When day and night are equal
C) The shortest day of the year
D) The longest day of the year
  • 5. What is the declination of the Sun?
A) The speed of the Sun.
B) The brightness of the Sun.
C) The distance from the Earth to the Sun.
D) The angle between the sun and the Earth's equator.
  • 6. What kind of sundial is easiest to build?
A) Vertical
B) Horizontal
C) Analemmatic
D) Equatorial
  • 7. What material is NOT suitable for a sundial's gnomon?
A) Plastic
B) Wood
C) Cardboard
D) Metal
  • 8. What is the purpose of the hour lines on a sundial?
A) To decorate the sundial
B) To support the gnomon
C) To measure the angle of the sun
D) To mark the hours of the day
  • 9. How does latitude affect the sundial design?
A) Determines the angle of the gnomon
B) Has no effect
C) Determines the size of the sundial
D) Determines the color of the sundial
  • 10. What causes daylight saving time?
A) The Earth moving closer to the sun.
B) Changing clocks forward in summer.
C) The Earth stopping its rotation
D) The sun burning brighter.
  • 11. What is the difference between 'apparent solar time' and clock time?
A) Clock batteries
B) The size of the sundial
C) The sundial's color
D) Equation of Time variations
  • 12. What direction should a horizontal sundial face in the Northern Hemisphere?
A) South
B) North
C) West
D) East
  • 13. What is the equation of time?
A) A formula for calculating sunrise
B) A formula for calculating latitude
C) A formula for calculating the length of a day
D) The difference between mean solar time and apparent solar time
  • 14. Why does a sundial's accuracy change throughout the year?
A) The sundial's material expands
B) The wind blows it off course
C) Earth's elliptical orbit
D) The sun changes color
  • 15. What tool can be used to find True North?
A) Barometer
B) Thermometer
C) Smartphone GPS
D) Compass with declination adjustment
  • 16. What is the best time of day to calibrate a sundial?
A) Solar noon
B) Midnight
C) Sunrise
D) Sunset
  • 17. What happens if a sundial is not level?
A) Nothing
B) The sundial will break
C) The gnomon will fall off
D) The time reading will be inaccurate
  • 18. What type of angle determines the length of the gnomon?
A) Latitude
B) Azimuth
C) Declination
D) Longitude
  • 19. How does East/West Longitude affect a sundial's readings?
A) It changes the material needed
B) It changes the height of the gnomon
C) It has no effect
D) It determines the standard time offset
  • 20. What is a diptych sundial?
A) A sundial made of two materials
B) A sundial with two gnomons
C) A sundial for telling time in two locations
D) A folding sundial
  • 21. Which type of sundial is dependent on the observer's position?
A) Vertical
B) Equatorial
C) Horizontal
D) Analemmatic
  • 22. How often does the Equation of Time return to 0?
A) Every day
B) Once a year
C) Never
D) Four times a year
  • 23. What's the best way to protect a sundial made of wood from the elements?
A) Leave it out to dry
B) Wash it with soap
C) Apply a sealant
D) Bury it during winter
  • 24. If a sundial reads 12:00 (Solar Noon), but your clock says 12:30, what is likely the reason?
A) You are west of your time zone's central meridian.
B) You are east of your time zone's central meridian.
C) The sundial is broken.
D) It is daylight saving time
  • 25. On a vertical south-facing sundial, where is noon located?
A) Bottom of the dial.
B) Top right corner.
C) Vertical line pointing straight up.
D) Horizontal line.
  • 26. What effect does the earth's tilt have on sundials?
A) It requires the use of color coding.
B) It has no effect.
C) It requires the gnomon to be angled to the latitude.
D) It makes sundials only work in summer.
  • 27. What does the word 'gnomon' mean?
A) Shadow
B) Time
C) Sun
D) Indicator
  • 28. What is the purpose of a sundial's base?
A) To enhance the sundial's accuracy
B) To provide a level surface and stability
C) To protect the gnomon
D) To make the sundial look nice
  • 29. If a sundial tells the same time for all hours of the day, the sundial is...
A) Perfectly accurate.
B) Broken or incorrectly calibrated.
C) Located on the Equator.
D) Located at the North Pole.
  • 30. In the Southern Hemisphere, which direction should a horizontal sundial face?
A) West
B) North
C) East
D) South
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