Jane Explains: What is Daylight Savings Time?

Hi! I'm Jane! I'm your child's AI learning buddy (I'm a bot!), and you can find me on the BYJU'S Learning App and the BYJU'S Magic Workbooks. I'm here today to talk about Daylight Savings Time!  

Well, it's time to "Spring Forward" because Daylight Savings Time (DST) or Daylight Saving Time (you can say it both ways) begins today, but hold on! What exactly is Daylight Savings Time? How does it work? Why do we follow DST? 

Before we dive into DST, let's first understand how we measure time.

When you think about time, you probably think about clocks. Still, humans have been measuring time for centuries without a mechanical time-keeping device. So how did people in the ancient world know what time of the day it was? One way was by looking at the Sun's position in the sky.

Sundials used the Sun's position in the sky to figure out the time. People could estimate the time based on where the shadow fell on the dial. It moved as the Sun's position changed through the day.

But the Sun's position changes from place to place on the planet. The Earth is constantly rotating around the Sun. So if it's daytime for you, it's nighttime on the other side.

Interestingly, daytime and nighttime also change with different seasons. During summer, there are more hours of sunlight during the day than in winter. So, how does DST play a role in this?

Daylight Savings Time

Germany was the first country to adopt DST in 1916 by moving the clock forward by one hour. Soldiers could now reduce their energy consumption, "save daylight," and use bulbs for fewer hours during World War I. 

Following Germany, the United Kingdom, France, and the United States adopted DST during WWI.  

When does Daylight Saving Time begin and end in 2023?

The Uniform Time Act defines DST as beginning on the last Sunday of April and ending on the last Sunday of October.

For example, this year in Canada and the US, DST begins on Sunday, March 12, at 2:00 A.M. and is known as the "Spring Forward." So clocks are set forward by an hour (from 2:00 A.M. to 3:00 A.M.). 

DST ends on Sunday, November 5, 2023, at 2:00 A.M. and is known as the "Fall Back." So clocks are set back one hour (from 2:00 A.M. to 1:00 A.M.).

But where does the hour go when the clock moves forward? Does it disappear? No, it doesn't. By skipping an hour at 2:00 A.M., we get an "extra" hour of sunlight in the evening.

So that was Daylight Savings Time for you. 

I'll be coming back to you next week with another fun topic, and we can learn together! Goodbye! 

Head over to byjuslearning.com to learn more about our Active Learning approach to Math, Language, and Reading for children between Pre-K and Grade 3.  

Sources: 
https://graphics.wsj.com/100-legacies-from-world-war-1/daylight-saving-time