Exercise No.

2:
Time and International
Date Line
Introduction
Time is a period during which an action or event occurs. It is also a dimension
representing a succession of such actions or events. Time is one of the
fundamental quantities of the physical world. Three astronomical methods of
expressing time are in use at present. The first two are based on the daily
rotation of the Earth on its axis. These methods involve the apparent motion
of the Sun (solar time) and of the stars (sidereal time). The third astronomical
method of measuring time is based on the revolution of the Earth around the
sun (ephemeris time).

Solar time has long been used as basis for measuring time which is the
apparent motion of the sun across the sky. When the sun reaches the highest
point in the sky during any given day, it is noon. The north-south line across
the sky through this point is the meridian. Similarly, standard time was also
used based on the solar time. This was introduced in 1883 by international
agreement to avoid the complications in railway schedules when each
community used its own local solar time. In order to conform with this
agreement, the Earth was divided into 24 time zones. The base position is the
zero meridian of longitude, which passes through the Royal Greenwich
Observatory in southern England, and time zones are described by their
distance east or west of Greenwich. Within each time zone all clocks are set
to the same time. In the scientific model on which standard time zones are
based, each zone spans 15° of longitude. However, borders of some time
zones are bent to conform with international frontiers and the boundaries of
regions within countries, as well as to facilitate commercial activities.

On the other hand, opposite to the meridian or prime meridian is the

International Date Line which is irregularly drawn on the map of the Pacific
Ocean and in many places coincident with the 180th meridian. It marks the
place where navigators change their date by one day on a transpacific voyage.
East of the line, it is one day earlier than to the west. It is located nearly in the
middle of the Pacific Ocean (a place chosen because of the virtual absence of
inhabited land in the region). Navigators going westwards add a day to their
calendars (e.g. the day after August 6 would be August 8) and navigators going
eastwards drop a day from their calendars (e.g. the day after August 6 would
be August 6 again) to correct for this gain or loss of time. The date line is
curved eastwards around Siberia, westwards around the Aleutian island, and
eastwards around the Fiji islands and New Zealand in order to avoid crossing
land.

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 Learning Outcomes
In this activity, the students will learn:
1. how to determine the time at the different time zones in the world;
2. how to determine the time of places in the different time zones using
maps, globes, and world map from the internet;
3. to construct a telling device, how to use the device in telling the time
and day in different places of the world; and
4. to know the changes in time when one crosses the international date
line.

Materials
• Standard protractor
• Circular cardboard (5 cm in radius)
• Rectangular cardboard (12 x 20 cm)
• Paper fastener, single - hole
• Globe/world map
• Computer
• Internet connection (access to the world clock)

Procedure

1. Using a protractor, divide the circle into 15° angles, the line should meet
at the center. The circle represents the earth, its center is the north pole.
Each line represents half of a meridian. Label each meridian in multiples
of 15. Start from 0 or the prime meridian and move eastward (to the
right) until you reach 180°. Starting again from 0, move westward (to the
left) and label the meridians in multiples of 15 up to 180°C. The 180°
meridian is the international date line. Meridians are either east or west
of the prime meridian. Mark W all the time zones to the left of the prime
meridian and E all time zones to the right of the prime meridian (e.g.
15°E, 30°E, 15°W or 30°W).

2. Draw broken line between the meridians. The area bounded by two
nearby lines is a time zone. All places within the same time zone have
the same time.

3. Attached the cardboard circle to the cardboard rectangle with the paper
fastener. This way you can turn the circle. Draw parallel lines on the
rectangle and label the middle. Turn the circle to have a 0° meridian
directly facing the sun rays on the rectangle. Label on the rectangle the
hour of each zone.

4. Turn the circle to each time zone given in column 1 and fill up the
attached table. Every hour the earth turns counterclockwise by 15°. The
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Vision: A globally competitive university for science, technology, and environmental conservation.
Mission: Development of a highly competitive human resource, cutting-edge scientific knowledge TP-IMD-04
V0 07-15-2020
and innovative technologies for sustainable communities and environment.
No.
 correct time is opposite each zone. For example, if it is 12 noon at 0°, it
is 2 am at 150°W. Determine the time at 150°E, 90°W, 90°E and 180°.
Record the date whether it is yesterday (i.e. previous day), today, or
tomorrow (i.e. following day).

Note: if computer and internet connection are available, let the students
search for video on the topic to enrich their knowledge.

References

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Date_Line
2. https://www.livescience.com/44292-international-date-line-explained.html
3. https://www.infoplease.com/calendar-holidays/calendars/time-measurement-time-
zones-and-international-date-line

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Mission: Development of a highly competitive human resource, cutting-edge scientific knowledge TP-IMD-04
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and innovative technologies for sustainable communities and environment.
No.
 EaSc001: Earth Science

Earth Science 001

Laboratory Exercise No. 2

Time and International Date Line

Name and Signature:________________________ Date Conducted:_______________

Lab Instructor/Lecturer: _____________________ Date Submitted: _______________
Laboratory Schedule: _______________________ Rating: ________________________

DATA SHEET

Time and Date in Different Zones

Time
Zone at 150°W 150°E 90°W 90°E 180°
12
noon
Time Date Time Date Time Date Time Date Time Date
0°
15°W
60°W
120°W
180°
150°E
90°E
30°E
0°

Guide Questions:

1. From what part of the earth do we view as represented by the device?

2. When it is 12 noon at the prime meridian, how many calendar dates are
used on the earth?

3. At what hour-position of the prime meridian does the earth have two
calendar dates?

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Mission: Development of a highly competitive human resource, cutting-edge scientific knowledge TP-IMD-04
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and innovative technologies for sustainable communities and environment.
No.
 4. When the earth has two calendar dates, which time zones are ahead by one
day?

5. If you cross the international dateline from east to west or vice-versa, what
change in date must you make?

6. If you stay in the same place on earth as it turns, when do you advance the
calendar date?

Page 17 of 64
Vision: A globally competitive university for science, technology, and environmental conservation.
Mission: Development of a highly competitive human resource, cutting-edge scientific knowledge TP-IMD-04
V0 07-15-2020
and innovative technologies for sustainable communities and environment.
No.