Science Experiments | Time - Introduction

Introduction

Anyone who has ever raced to finish an activity knows the importance of time. In modern day, people monitor time by the minute. Yet thousands of years ago, keeping track of time was not important. People went about their work and play when the Sun was in the sky and they slept when the Sun was down. Over the years, people began to notice patterns in the Sun's rising and falling. Eventually these patterns led to a system of keeping time that was accepted throughout the world.

The natural rhythms of the Sun and Moon established the time concepts of year, month, and day. Other timekeeping classifications—weeks, hours, minutes, and seconds—are manmade inventions. The concept of time has intrigued some of the most prominent scientists. It has also led to the development of several major discoveries.