TIME, TIME CLOCKS AND TIMEZONE
Q1. Which Civilisation has started the calculation of time?
Sumerian Civilisation some 2000 years ago.
Q2. What is the name of the system by which time calculation is made now?
Sexagesimal System - based on Number 60.
Q3. Which two numbers play the important role in calculation of time, month and year?
No.60 - 60 seconds and 60 minutes. 12 hours of day and night and 12 months making an year.
Q4. Which geological factor determines the time of a place?
Parallels of Longitude determines the time at a place.
Q5. What is the Local Time of a place?
12 Noon when the Sun is exactly overhead at a place.
Q6. By how much the local time of a place varies with Greenwich Mean Time?
Normally varies by 4 minutes/degree of Longitude, when compared to Greenwich Mean Time.
Q7. What determines the time of a place?
The time of a place depends on whether it lies east or west of Greenwich. Thus each country has its own time.
Q8. What is Standard Time?
Each country has its own time. It is synchronising clocks in different geographical locations within a time zone. It varies from one place to another. Therefore, a uniform time has been fixed in relation to the meantime of a certain meridian which passes through it.
Q9. Where is the "Zero" of time has been fixed, also called the Greenwich Mean Time?
It has been fixed at Greenwich in London, UK which gives us the GMT. It is also the standard time of UK.
Q10. When from the Prime Meridian, Greenwich, UK came to be adopted?
Prior to 1914, Paris in France and Greenwich in UK both were the two Prime Meridians. The Greenwich Meridian as the Prime Meridian was decided in a conference in 1884 itself but came to be used only from 1914 at the behest of the then US President Chester Arthur.
Q11. Where is India's Greenwich village, based on which the Indian Standard Time is calculated?
GANAPUR - 14 Kms from Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh. It falls on 82.5 degree Longitude based on which IST is calculated.
Q12. What is Time Zone?
The Earth is divided into 24 longitudinal zones, each being 15 degree or 1 hour apart in time. Thus, the zone becomes a region of the Earth that has adopted the same standard time usually referred to as Local Time. Most adjacent time zones are exactly one hour apart and by convention compute their local time as an offset from GMT.
Q13. What is International Date Line?
The 12th zone (longitudinal) is divided by the 18th Meridian which is called the "International Date Line". The zone lying east of this line are numbered from 1 to 12 with minus (-) prefixed, meaning the number of hours to be subtracted to obtain GMT.
Q14. What is UTC - Coordinated Universal Time?
It is high precision Atomic Time Standard. UTC has uniform seconds defined by International Atomic time with leap seconds announced at regular intervals to compensate for the earth's slowing rotation and other discrepancies. It is maintained from Paris from 1972.
Q15. What is Day Light Saving Time (DST)?
A convention of advancing clocks to that afternoons have more light and mornings have less. Clocks are adjusted forward by one hour near the start of spring and are adjusted backward in autumn. This practice is widely used in USA and Europe. DST is the abbreviation.
Q16. Who proposed the Day Light Saving time and when from it is adopted?
George Vernon Hudson of New Zealand in 1895 and is in use since then.
Q17. How many time zones are there?
Twenty four.
Q18. Which are the countries having the largest number of time zones?
1. France 12
2. USA 11, Russia 11
3. United Kingdom 9
4. Australia 8
5. Canada 6
Q19. Which country despite having one of the largest area, has only one time zone and the widest spanning one at that?
China.
Q20. Which two countries sharing a common border, has the longest time gap?
China - Afghanistan - 3.5 hours gap.
Q21. What is the method of determining the time difference between GMT and local time of another place?
Can be derived by multiplying the longitude of a place by four.
Q22. Where is the International Date Line?
It roughly corresponds to 180 degree East West Meridian of longitude, which falls on the opposite side of the Greenwich Meridian.
Q23. What one has to do with International Date Line?
When one crosses the date line from East to West, the date is to be advanced by one day. Similarly, from West to East, the date is to be set back by one day.
Q24. Which is the oldest known clock/method of knowing time? How GNOMON is related to it?
Sun Dial - that measures the time by the position of the Sun. Gnomon is a column or pin on a Sundial which casts a shadow indicating the time of day.
Q25. What is a Water Clock and how does it help in measuring time?
Another ancient method of calculating time. It was also known as CLEPSYDRA operated by means of a regulated flow of liquid into (inflow type) and out from (outflow type) a vessel, where it is measured for deciding the time.
Q26. What is a Hour Glass?
Also called Sand Glass or Sand Timer. A device used in the ancient days to measure time. Two glass bulbs placed one above the other, connected by a slim tube and filled with sand in one bulb. The sand flowing through the narrow tube and filling the other. Once a bulb gets filled, the device is tilted to continue the process.
Q27. Which is the oldest known mechanical clock?
Salisbury Cathedra, UK, built in mid 13th century - 1386.
Q28. When was the first "minute hand" used in a mechanical clock?
1475
Q29. When was the first "second hand" used in a mechanical clock?
1560
Q30. When and who invented the Pendulum Clock?
Christian Huygens of the Netherlands in 1657.
Q31. What is the mathematical ratio/formula related to Pendulum length to time?
99.38 cms or 39.13 inches for the one second movement.
Q32. Who designed the first enameled wooden case clock known as "Grand Father" clock?
William Clement, UK in 1670.
Q33. Who was the first to patent a clock and considered to be the father of American clock industry?
Eli Terry, Connecticut, USA.
Q34. Who was the first to patent an electric clock and also an electromagnetic pendulum clock?
Alexander Bain of Scotland patented the first electric clock in 1840 and electromagnetic pendulum clock in 1841.
Q35. Who was the first to patent an adjustable alarm clock in 1847?
Antoine Redier of France in 1847.
Q36. What is an Astronomical Clock?
Clock with special mechanisms and dials to display astronomical information such as the relative positions of the Sun, Moon, Constellations and major planets.
Q37. What is an Atomic Clock?
A type of clock that uses an atomic resonance frequency standard to feed its counter.
Q38. Where was the first Atomic clock built?
At the National Bureau of Standards, USA in 1949.
Q39. Where was the second atomic clock built and how accurate it is?
1955 - National Physical Laboratory, UK. It is accurate up to one second in 300 years.
Q40. What is a Binary Clock?
A clock which displays a traditional sexagesimal time in a binary unit.
Q41. What is a chiming or striking clock?
A clock that sounds the hours on a bell or gong.
Q42.
Which is the most famous striking clock of the world?
BIG BEN - England. Located at the House of Parliament, West Minster, London.
Q43. Who designed the Big Ben Clock and its dials?
Augustus Pugin, A British Architect.
Q44. When from the Big Ben is in operation?
07.9.1859.
Q45. What are the special physical features of Big Ben?
The iron framework is of 6.7 meters/21 feet dia. The hour hand is 2.7 meter/ 9 feet and the minute hand is 4.3 meter/14 feet long.
Q46. What is a countdown clock and where it is used normally?
It is a backward counting clock, normally from 10 to 0, generally used in rocket launches.
Q47. What is a Cartel Clock?
A clock designed to be hanged on the wall.
Q48. What is a "Clock of the Long Now"?
Also called the 10000 Year clock. Designed to keep time for 10000 years. Project conceived by Danny Hills in 1986. Sponsored by Long Now Foundation. Started functioning from 31.12.1999. Prototype is on show at Science Museum, London.
Q49. Who invented the electric clock?
Sir Francis Ronalds invented it in 1814. A clock powered by electricity.
Q50. What is a Game Clock?
Consists of two adjacent clocks and buttons to stop one clock while starting the other, such that both does not run simultaneously. Normally used in Chess tournaments.
Q51. What is a Stop Watch?
A time piece designed to measure the amount of time elapsed from a particular time when activated and till it is deactivated. Normally used in athletics, swimming etc. Nowadays electronic clocks or boards are used in these events.
Q52. What is a Tide Clock?
A specially designed clock that keeps track of the moon's apparent motion around the Earth.
Q53. What is a Digital Clock?
A clock that uses digital electronic methods of keeping time.
Q54. What is a Time Clock?
Also called "Clock Card Machine". It is a mechanical time piece to track the hours an employee is at work. Generally used in factories. Nowadays electronic have been installed for this purpose.
Q55. When and who created the first pocket watch?
Peter Henlein in 1524.
Q56. Who invented the "Automatic Watch"?
John Harwood from Isle of Man in 1923.
Q57. Which was the first electric operated clock, developed by which company?
Hamilton Electric 500 in 1957 released by Hamilton Watch C0., UK.
Q58. What is the name of the study of time and time devices?
Horology.
Q59. Why do we always see the display of time 10.10 in show rooms?
Because it gives a picture of smile and it is practised everywhere.
Q60. What is Jiffy?
A term for the actual unit of time for 1/100th of a second.
Q61. Who developed the "Clockwise" movement of mechanical clocks?
European craftsmen.
Q62. When from Indian Standard Time came to be used?
1.9.1947.
Q63. Who standardised the use of IST in India?
Lord Curzon.
Q64. What is a "Cesium Atom"?
An atomic clock that beats over nine billion times in a second.
Q65. How many nano seconds are there for a second.
one billion.
Q66. Where is the world's biggest "Cuckoo Clock"?
Freundenstadt, Germany.
