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