Different kinds of clocks

Our daily lives revolve around time and to know the current time we rely on clocks. For thousands of years telling time has been a very important part of life for many reasons. We often take these time-telling devices for granted, never stopping to consider how they function or their vital assistance in prevention of losing our jobs or missing class; also clocks enable us to attend set appointments, meetings or events.

Sundials

First documented in Egyptian and Babylonian history, the earliest sundial was a tower-like structure called an Obelisk, which would cast a shadow when the sun was shining, defining the time of day. Later a sundial in a circular shape with a large protruding beam called a gnomon was crafted. As Earth orbited the sun, the shadow cast by the gnomon would meet with marked “hour” spots on the face of the dial. Obtaining the correct time on a sundial was an exact science; the sundial had to be positioned in alignment with True North. The face of the device usually indicated hours between 8 a.m and 8 p.m. Because the rotation of the Earth is consistent, this method of telling time was actually more accurate than even the earliest mechanical clocks to be invented thousands of years later. However, there was one major downfall to sundials: on an overcast day the people were simply out of luck! In addition to this, telling time at night was not a possibility; this is where the water clock gained importance.