Creating a day and night working model for a science project exhibition that also shows the India and USA time zones is an engaging way to demonstrate how the Earth’s rotation affects daylight across different regions.
The model can illustrate how different parts of the Earth experience day and night at the same time, depending on their positions relative to the Sun.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you create this project:
Materials Needed:
- Globe (or a spherical object, such as a styrofoam ball)
- Light source (a small lamp or flashlight to represent the Sun)
- Cardboard (for base and other components)
- Markers and labels (to mark locations and time zones)
- Push pin (to fix India and USA on the globe)
- Paper (for time zone labels and explanation cards)
- Battery-operated clock parts (optional, for showing time in India and USA)
- Glue or tape
- Scissors
Video Steps to Create the Model:
1. Prepare the Globe (Earth):
- If you’re using a spherical object like a styrofoam ball, draw the continents on it with markers.
- Mark the locations of India and the USA on the globe, particularly New Delhi and New York, or any major cities of your choice.
- If you’re using a real globe, use push pins or small stickers to mark India and USA.
2. Prepare the Light Source (Sun):
- Place a small lamp or flashlight on one side of the globe to represent the Sun.
- Ensure that the lamp stays stationary while the globe can rotate.
3. Illustrate Earth’s Rotation:
- Attach the globe to a stand or cardboard base with a small stick, skewer, or rod through its center. This will allow you to rotate the globe manually.
- The Earth rotates from west to east, so make sure to rotate the globe counterclockwise when viewed from above the North Pole.
4. Show Day and Night:
- Place the light source so it only illuminates half of the globe at any given time. The illuminated half represents daytime, while the darker half represents night.
- When India is in the illuminated part of the globe, it’s daytime there, and when India is in the dark part, it’s nighttime.
5. Mark Time Zones:
- Use markers or paper to create time zone labels for both India (IST: Indian Standard Time) and the USA (EST: Eastern Standard Time, for New York).
- For reference:
- India (IST) is UTC +5:30 hours.
- Eastern USA (EST) is UTC -5 hours (or UTC -4 during daylight saving time).
- Add clock dials on paper or attach mini battery-operated clocks at both locations on the globe. These clocks will help visualize the time difference between India and the USA.
- Label each clock with “India Time (IST)” and “USA Time (EST)”.
6. Demonstrate the Time Difference:
- Position the globe in such a way that India is facing the Sun (daytime) and the USA is in darkness (nighttime). Show that when it is daytime in India, it is night in the USA.
- Explain that because of Earth’s rotation, when the globe rotates further, India moves into night and the USA moves into day.
7. Additional Explanation Cards:
- Create cards or small labels explaining why there is a time difference:
- Earth’s Rotation: The Earth rotates 360 degrees every 24 hours, meaning different parts of the world experience day and night at different times.
- Time Zones: The Earth is divided into 24 time zones, and countries at different longitudes have different times based on their position relative to the Sun.
8. Add a Base (Optional):
- If you want the project to look more polished, you can mount the globe on a cardboard base. On the base, write down key points about:
- Day and Night: Explain how Earth’s rotation causes the cycle of day and night.
- Time Zones: Mention the time difference between India and the USA and how it works.
- Sunrise and Sunset: Show the movement of the Earth that results in the Sun rising and setting at different times across the globe.