Question

Which of the following devices was used in ancient times to measure time?
(A) Digital Watch
(B) Analog Watch
(C) Candle clock
(D) None of the above

Answer 1

Hint : In order to answer this question, to know which device was used in ancient time to measure time, we will first mention the name of that device and then we will discuss the history and how it works.

Complete Step By Step Answer:
Candle clocks were used in ancient times to measure time. As in ancient times, the digital clock was not invented.
When burned, a candle clock is a thin candle with evenly spaced markings that represent the passage of time. Candle clocks, though no longer in use, were an effective means to tell time indoors, at night, or on a cloudy day. Sticking a strong nail into the candle at the spot indicating the required interval might easily change a candle clock into a timer. The nail clatters against a dish below when the wax surrounding it melts.
It's unclear when and where candle clocks initially appeared. The first mention of them appears in a Chinese poem by You Jiangu (AD 520). In this case, the graded candle served as a nighttime timekeeper. Until the early 10th century, similar candles were used in Japan.
You Jiangu's gadget consisted of six candles, each $12{\text{ }}inches$ high, uniformly thick, and divided into $12{\text{ }}one - inch{\text{ }}parts$ , each produced from 72 pennyweights (24 grains) of wax. Each candle burnt out in four hours, giving each mark a time of $20{\text{ }}minutes$ . For safety, the candles were placed in cases composed of a hardwood frame with translucent horn panels on the sides.
Hence, the correct option is (C) Candle clock.

Note :
With candle clocks, Incense clocks and sand clocks were also used in ancient times to measure time. The incense clock is an Indian timekeeping device that was popularised by China during the Song Dynasty (960-1279) and spread to East Asian neighbours such as Japan and Korea. And, a sand clock, often known as an hourglass, is a calibrated physical timepiece that measures a specified period of time by sand falling from an upper container to a lower container. A glass vase with an upper and lower bulb connected by a narrow neck is the traditional hourglass.