TIME ZONES

History of Time Zones

Prior to the 19
th
century time was a local
phenomenon.
Town Clocks were set to Solar Noon and
everyone in town set their clocks/watches to this
time.
Railroads created a need for standardized time
zones. Schedules based on local times were
very confusing.
In 1878 Canadian Sir Sanford Fleming proposed
a system of world time zones that became the
system we use today.

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Spin, Spin, Spin!
Quick Check:
If Earth rotates 15/hour
How many degrees will Earth
have rotated after 3 hours?



15 x 3 = 45
THESE LONGITUDE LINES ARE 15 APART.
If it is 2pm in time zone A, what time is it in time zone B?
A
B
2
3
4
5
6
7
If it is 9pm at location X, what time is it at
location Y?
Y
X
If it is 11am at location W, what time is it at
location Z?
W
Z
If it is 10am at location R, what time is it at
location T?
R
T
The International Date Line
Fixed, arbitrary boundary on the earth in
the Pacific Ocean where the calendar date
advances

Rules for Crossing the IDL
Travelling East: results in one day or 24
hours subtracted. The day is repeated to
the west of the line.

Travelling West: results in one day or 24
hours added to the eastern side.
Look at Fiji and Samoa again
If its 2:23 am Thursday in Tonga







its 3:23 am Wednesday in Samoa!
(and theyre only 552 miles or 888 km apart!)
Note: Latitude does not effect time zones,
although some time zones are not exactly aligned
with longitude meridians, so you might encounter
the edge of another time zone even if you were to
travel north or south. Reason?
Note: Latitude does not effect time zones
Although some many time zones are not exactly aligned with longitude
meridians, so you might encounter the edge of another time zone even
if you were to travel north or south. Reason?
You wouldnt like it
very much if your
house and the
school were in
different time zones!
Usually, the
boundaries are
shifted a bit to run
through areas that
dont influence a
large population.
The Regents Exam loves to ask
questions about time zones with a
different point of view
Like a bird flying over the North Pole.
We call this a Birds Eye View
Looking down from the North Pole:
DARKNESS
Looking down from the North Pole:
If it is 8am at location X, what time is it at location Z?
X
Z
If it is 2pm at location W, what time is it at location Y?
Y
W
Y
Could you label this diagram with: NOON, MIDNIGHT, 6am, 6pm?
Y
W
Y
Real world applications:
Penelope leaves Africa and returns to Florida after a delightful vacation. If she
leaves at 7pm local time in Africa, if the flight takes 8 hours, what will be the
local time in Florida when she lands? If she leaves her wrist watch on local
Africa timewhat will her wrist watch show the time as when she lands in
Florida? Can you make up a crazy question?
Your Mission:
Using your time zone calculators and maps write out a time zone
problem or scenario involving a world traveler.
Your traveler must:
1. Cross the IDL at least once
2. Have at least 7 stops on his/her journey or vacation.
3. Ask for times at each stop/location AND the final arrival time for
final destination.
Rules:
Be specific and be creative.
Account for travel time, estimate these times if necessary.
Account for how long your traveler stays in any particular location.
Use globes to pick destinations.