Candle Clocks

This model highlights a significant development in the history of time measurement: the use of candles. Marked candles have been used for timekeeping in China since the sixth century. However, the accuracy of their burn rate can be influenced by factors such as drafts and variations in the quality of the wax. To address this, the height and width of the candle were standardized to ensure it could accurately represent the passage of a specific duration of time. Similar to oil lamps, candles were primarily used to measure the time between events, rather than to indicate the time of day. A candle clock could also be easily converted into a timer by inserting a heavy nail into the candle at the desired time interval. As the candle burned and the wax surrounding the nail melted, the nail would drop onto a metal plate below, creating a sound signal to indicate that the time interval had passed.