Mini Math IA- Sun Dial
Introduction
Sun dials are the first timekeeping device, made to tell the time of day
through the positioning of a vertical sticks shadow onto a circle
surrounded by numbers. This vertical stick is called the gnomon, and it
casts a shadow (shadow of gnomon) onto the dial, consisting of roman
numerals, an ancient numbering system originating from Rome. As times
developed, news and more convenient ways of telling the time was
invented, and now the Sun dial is hardly used and acts as an object of
amusement rather than utility. However, it is forgotten that the sundial is
the foundation of our modern calendar and timekeeping conventions,
without it, not only would ancient civilizations struggle with daily
schedules, agriculture, and religious rituals, but so would our modern
civilizations.
Recently, I visited a sun dial In British Columbia, It was there where I
discovered the importance of Sundials and its effects on modern
cavillations today. I also learnt that the government wants to switch to
permanent daylight saving time (DST) to help save energy, however this
has an impact on Sundials as they reflect solar time, so they would be
“wrong” by an hour compared to official time. This spiked my curiosity to
discover deeper on how the sundial reflects solar time, leading to my
research question of “How does the length of a shadow cast by a vertical
stick vary with time of day, and how can trigonometry be used to
calculate and analyze the sun’s angle of elevation throughout the day?”.
Aim
The aim of this investigation is to deepen my understanding of how the
sundial works in terms of the shadow of the gnomon with relation to the
time of day in terms of trigonometry to help design a sundial as well as
explore its trigonometric principles.
Methodology
To carry out my investigation, I had to obtain a variety of equipment such
as measuring tape, a clock and a notebook to note down my findings.
First, I recorded the height of the gnomon as well as the radius of the
sundial, from the point where the gnomon reaches the sundial, to the
perimeter of the sundial. Throughout the day, I recorded the length of
each shadow of gnomon using my measuring tape at the times 8:00,
10:00, 12:00, 14:00, 16:00. I decided to measure the shadow multiple
times through the day to establish a relationship between time and
shadow length, it allows us to see a pattern in the shadows as the day
progresses. By measuring length of shadow, a corresponding angle of
elevation of the sun θ is estimated, we can then compare the angles of
elevation through the different timings to deepen our understanding of
how the sundial works and its trigonometric principles.
The height of the gnomon was 1metre. The shadow length was recorded
at different times throughout the day.
Time Shadow Length Angle of
(t) (L) (m) Elevation (°)
8:00 2.1 25.5
10:00 1.2 39.8
12:00 0.8 51.3
14:00 1.1 42.0
16:00 2.0 26.6
I calculated the angle of elevation using:
θ=tan −1
( hL )
I used this formula because when the sun hits the gnomon, it creates a
right- angled triangle. h is the height of the vertical stick, L is the length of
shadow on the ground and is the suns angle of elevation. We are trying
to find the angle of elevation which makes h the opposite and L the
adjacent, meaning we must use trig definition tan to find it. To find we
must use inverse tan leading us to the final equation.
Overall, the data shows the pattern that when the as the day goes from
morning to midday, the angle of elevation increases, reaching a maximum
at 12:00, then decreasing again in the afternoon. This can be modelled
using a trigonometric function :
θ(t)=a sin(b(t−c))+d
a represents the amplitude
b relates to the period (24 hours)
c is the phase shift (time of solar noon)
d is the vertical shift (average angle)
Maximum angle ≈ 51°
Minimum angle ≈ 25°
So:
51−25
Amplitude ≈ =13
2
51+ 25
Midline ≈ =38
2
So we get:
( 12π (t−6))+38
θ(t)≈ 13 sin
This model reflects how the Sun’s elevation changes smoothly throughout
the day. It explains how each time is related to a specific solar angle, and
how these shadows meet the hour markings on the dial.
Conclusion
This investigation was inspired by my visit to a sundial in British Columbia,
enhancing my engagement with the topic. Seeing how such a simple
device could measure time only using sunlight developed my curiosity to
dive deeper into how they work and the importance of it compared to a
modern clock. By understanding the mathematical functions involved in a
sun dial, it also allowed me to understand how one would be designed.
This is because the position of the length of the shadow of gnomon
depends on the suns angle of elevation, modelled through trigonometry.
This allows for accurate placement of hour lines as the shadow is
predictable.
The investigation demonstrates that the length of the shadow of gnomon
varies predictably throughout the day, decreasing towards midday,
reaching its maximum length then increasing afterwards. Using
trigonometry, specifically the tangent function, the Sun’s angle of
elevation can be calculated from shadow length. Overall, this relationship
can be modelled using a sinusoidal function. Sinusoidal functions also
allow for deeper analysis of periodic behaviour in the suns movement.
This confirms that sundials operate based on consistent mathematical
principles, linking time, angles, and shadow lengths. However, real-world
inaccuracies mean that while models are useful, they may not perfectly
represent actual observations.
Although the trigonometric model provides a smooth and predictable
relationship, the collected data does not perfectly fit the model. This may
be because there are measurement errors when recording shadow length
or any external factors such as cloud cover. This shows that although
models may be useful, they usually contain slight inaccuracies and may
not perfectly represent real-life observations.
Sources:
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