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Why do clocks move clockwise?

Here's a question that can be answered with a little knowledge of mathematics and history, and some common sense.

Why do "normal" clocks always turn in the direction we are used to, and not in the opposite direction?

2 comments:

Prashant Sharma said...

Is it because clock was designed to measure time difference (elapsed) and by virtue that time is spent (lost and not gained should be a negative and conventionally anti clock wise measure of angle is negative, it justify the movement of clock needles?

December 3, 2013 at 8:48 AM
Peter Ash said...

Sorry I missed seeing this. I can't follow your argument. My reason is that the first clocks were designed to imitate sundials. In the northern hemisphere (where clocks were developed), the shadow of the gnomon rotates in the direction we call clockwise.

November 11, 2016 at 6:44 PM

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