ThatQuiz Test Library Take this test now
How to build and use a simple sundial
Contributed by: Roe
  • 1. What is the gnomon on a sundial?
A) The part that casts the shadow
B) The hour markings
C) The base of the sundial
D) The decorative element
  • 2. What is needed to accurately calibrate a sundial?
A) True North
B) The day of the week
C) The current temperature
D) Magnetic 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) The longest day of the year
B) When day and night are equal
C) When the moon is full
D) The shortest day of the year
  • 5. What is the declination of the Sun?
A) The speed of the Sun.
B) The distance from the Earth to the Sun.
C) The angle between the sun and the Earth's equator.
D) The brightness of the Sun.
  • 6. What kind of sundial is easiest to build?
A) Analemmatic
B) Horizontal
C) Vertical
D) Equatorial
  • 7. What material is NOT suitable for a sundial's gnomon?
A) Metal
B) Wood
C) Cardboard
D) Plastic
  • 8. What is the purpose of the hour lines on a sundial?
A) To mark the hours of the day
B) To decorate the sundial
C) To measure the angle of the sun
D) To support the gnomon
  • 9. How does latitude affect the sundial design?
A) Has no effect
B) Determines the angle of the gnomon
C) Determines the color of the sundial
D) Determines the size of the sundial
  • 10. What causes daylight saving time?
A) The Earth stopping its rotation
B) Changing clocks forward in summer.
C) The sun burning brighter.
D) The Earth moving closer to the sun.
  • 11. What is the difference between 'apparent solar time' and clock time?
A) The sundial's color
B) Equation of Time variations
C) The size of the sundial
D) Clock batteries
  • 12. What direction should a horizontal sundial face in the Northern Hemisphere?
A) East
B) West
C) South
D) North
  • 13. What is the equation of time?
A) A formula for calculating sunrise
B) A formula for calculating the length of a day
C) The difference between mean solar time and apparent solar time
D) A formula for calculating latitude
  • 14. Why does a sundial's accuracy change throughout the year?
A) The wind blows it off course
B) Earth's elliptical orbit
C) The sun changes color
D) The sundial's material expands
  • 15. What tool can be used to find True North?
A) Thermometer
B) Smartphone GPS
C) Compass with declination adjustment
D) Barometer
  • 16. What is the best time of day to calibrate a sundial?
A) Midnight
B) Sunset
C) Sunrise
D) Solar noon
  • 17. What happens if a sundial is not level?
A) The sundial will break
B) The time reading will be inaccurate
C) The gnomon will fall off
D) Nothing
  • 18. What type of angle determines the length of the gnomon?
A) Latitude
B) Longitude
C) Azimuth
D) Declination
  • 19. How does East/West Longitude affect a sundial's readings?
A) It changes the height of the gnomon
B) It determines the standard time offset
C) It changes the material needed
D) It has no effect
  • 20. What is a diptych sundial?
A) A folding sundial
B) A sundial for telling time in two locations
C) A sundial with two gnomons
D) A sundial made of two materials
  • 21. Which type of sundial is dependent on the observer's position?
A) Analemmatic
B) Vertical
C) Equatorial
D) Horizontal
  • 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) Apply a sealant
C) Bury it during winter
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) The sundial is broken.
B) You are east of your time zone's central meridian.
C) You are west of your time zone's central meridian.
D) It is daylight saving time
  • 25. On a vertical south-facing sundial, where is noon located?
A) Top right corner.
B) Vertical line pointing straight up.
C) Bottom of the dial.
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 has no effect.
D) It requires the use of color coding.
  • 27. What does the word 'gnomon' mean?
A) Indicator
B) Sun
C) Shadow
D) Time
  • 28. What is the purpose of a sundial's base?
A) To protect the gnomon
B) To make the sundial look nice
C) To provide a level surface and stability
D) To enhance the sundial's accuracy
  • 29. If a sundial tells the same time for all hours of the day, the sundial is...
A) Located at the North Pole.
B) Broken or incorrectly calibrated.
C) Located on the Equator.
D) Perfectly accurate.
  • 30. In the Southern Hemisphere, which direction should a horizontal sundial face?
A) North
B) East
C) South
D) West
Created with That Quiz — the site for test creation and grading in math and other subjects.