🛠️ What You Need
✅ A flat piece of cardboard, wood, or stiff paper (for the dial plate)
✅ A stick, straw, pencil, or skewer (for the gnomon)
✅ A ruler
✅ A compass (to find North) or a smartphone with a compass app
✅ A watch or clock (for marking the hours)
✅ A pen or marker
🕰️ Step-by-Step Instructions
✨ 1. Prepare the Dial Plate
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Place your cardboard or wood in a sunny spot.
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Make sure it’s flat and level.
✨ 2. Fix the Gnomon
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Push the stick upright into the center of the dial plate.
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Important: To make it accurate, the stick should point toward true North and be tilted at an angle equal to your latitude (for example, about 30–40 degrees if you live in India).
If you just want a simple version, you can leave the stick vertical—it won’t be perfect, but it will still show how the shadow moves.
✨ 3. Mark the Center
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Use a ruler to draw a small circle around the stick’s base.
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This helps you see where the shadow falls.
✨ 4. Calibrate the Sundial
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On a sunny day, start at 9:00 a.m.
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Look at your watch.
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When the time is exactly 9:00, mark where the stick’s shadow touches the edge of the circle.
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Write “9” beside that point.
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Do this every hour (10:00, 11:00, 12:00…) until at least 4:00 or 5:00 p.m.
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Connect the marks to draw hour lines radiating out from the stick.
✨ 5. Check Your Sundial
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The next day, place it in the same position.
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As the Sun moves, the shadow should fall close to the hour marks you drew.