Gnomon
Okay, so imagine you have a big stick that you stick in the ground. That stick is called a gnomon.
Now why would you want to stick a big stick in the ground? Well, let's say you're outside on a sunny day and you want to know what time it is. You can look at your watch, sure, but what if you don't have a watch? That's when the gnomon comes in handy.
When the sun is shining, the stick will cast a shadow on the ground. The length and position of the shadow changes throughout the day as the sun moves across the sky. By looking at where the shadow falls and measuring how long it is, you can tell what time of day it is!
People have been using gnomons to tell time for thousands of years, before watches and clocks were invented. It's pretty cool, right?
Now why would you want to stick a big stick in the ground? Well, let's say you're outside on a sunny day and you want to know what time it is. You can look at your watch, sure, but what if you don't have a watch? That's when the gnomon comes in handy.
When the sun is shining, the stick will cast a shadow on the ground. The length and position of the shadow changes throughout the day as the sun moves across the sky. By looking at where the shadow falls and measuring how long it is, you can tell what time of day it is!
People have been using gnomons to tell time for thousands of years, before watches and clocks were invented. It's pretty cool, right?