Chapter 6 of 8

All 8 chapters
  1. 1Centimetres and metres, readunderstood
  2. 2Millimetres and kilometres, readunderstood
  3. 3Tenths and the decimal point, readunderstood
  4. 4Grams and kilograms, readunderstood
  5. 5Millilitres and litres, readunderstood
  6. 6Telling the time, readunderstood
  7. 7How long it takes, readunderstood
  8. 8Perimeter and area, readunderstood

M2.6.6 Chapter 6

Telling the time

A clock has two hands. How do I know which one tells the hour?

Your guess

Pick one before you read on. It is fine to be wrong.

Your guess

  • You picked A. Read on. At the end, the chapter comes back to your guess.

  • You picked B. Read on. At the end, the chapter comes back to your guess.

  • You picked C. Read on. At the end, the chapter comes back to your guess.

By the end you can

  • Read a clock face to the nearest 5 minutes
  • Read a clock face to the nearest minute
  • Match a clock face to a 24 hour time like 15:40

Look at a clock. It has a short thick hand and a long thin hand.

The short hand is the hour hand. It shows the hour.

The long hand is the minute hand. It shows the minutes.

Draw it first

Read the clock in four steps

  1. A clock face with the numbers 1 to 12. The short hand is a little past 7. The long hand points at 4. Under it, step 1 adds the words "hour hand is past 7". Step 2 adds "minute hand points to 4". Step 3 adds "4 × 5 = 20 minutes". Step 4 adds "7:20".123456789101112hour hand is past 7

    1 The short hand is past 7, but not at 8. The hour is 7.

  2. A clock face with the numbers 1 to 12. The short hand is a little past 7. The long hand points at 4. Under it, step 1 adds the words "hour hand is past 7". Step 2 adds "minute hand points to 4". Step 3 adds "4 × 5 = 20 minutes". Step 4 adds "7:20".123456789101112hour hand is past 7minute hand points to 4

    2 The long hand points to 4.

  3. A clock face with the numbers 1 to 12. The short hand is a little past 7. The long hand points at 4. Under it, step 1 adds the words "hour hand is past 7". Step 2 adds "minute hand points to 4". Step 3 adds "4 × 5 = 20 minutes". Step 4 adds "7:20".123456789101112hour hand is past 7minute hand points to 44 × 5 = 20 minutes

    3 Each number is 5 minutes. 4 × 5 = 20 minutes.

  4. A clock face with the numbers 1 to 12. The short hand is a little past 7. The long hand points at 4. Under it, step 1 adds the words "hour hand is past 7". Step 2 adds "minute hand points to 4". Step 3 adds "4 × 5 = 20 minutes". Step 4 adds "7:20".123456789101112hour hand is past 7minute hand points to 44 × 5 = 20 minutes7:20

    4 The time is 7:20.

The minute hand goes round once in 60 minutes. Each number is 5 minutes. Count in fives: 5, 10, 15, 20, and on.

A table with three columns: "hand at", "mins" and "we say". The rows are: 12, 0, o'clock. 1, 5, 5 past. 2, 10, 10 past. 3, 15, quarter past. 6, 30, half past. 9, 45, quarter to.hand atminswe say120o'clock155 past21010 past315quarter past630half past945quarter to
Where the long hand points, and how many minutes that is.

Past 30 minutes, we can count to the next hour. 7:40 is 20 minutes to 8.

The small marks are single minutes. Between two numbers there are 4 small marks.

A clock face with the numbers 1 to 12. The short hand is past 6. The long hand is 3 small marks past the 7.123456789101112
The long hand is 3 small marks past the 7.

Worked example

Read the clock above. The long hand is 3 small marks past the 7. The short hand is past 6.

  1. The 7 is 7 × 5 = 35 minutes.
  2. Add the 3 small marks. 35 + 3 = 38 minutes.
  3. The short hand is past 6, but not at 7. The hour is 6.

Answer: 6:38

The hour hand moves slowly all the time. At half past 7 it is halfway between 7 and 8.

A day has 24 hours. The hour hand goes round the clock twice.

24 hour time counts the hours from midnight. It needs no morning or afternoon.

Midnight is 00:00. Midday is 12:00. From 1 o'clock after midday, add 12 to the hour.

See it three ways

With things

Use a paper clock. Put the short hand past 3. Put the long hand on 8. It is the afternoon.

As a picture

A clock face with the numbers 1 to 12. The short hand is past 3 and the long hand points at 8. The time under it is "3:40".1234567891011123:40

In symbols

3:40 in the afternoon. 12 + 3 = 15. So it is 15:40.

A table with two columns: "we say" and "24 hour". The rows are: midnight, 00:00. 7:00 morning, 07:00. midday, 12:00. 3:40 afternoon, 15:40. 9:15 night, 21:15.we say24 hourmidnight00:007:00 morning07:00midday12:003:40 afternoon15:409:15 night21:15
From 1 o'clock after midday until midnight, the hour is 12 more.

15:40 is also 20 minutes to 4.

Try it

Make a paper clock

You need: a sheet of paper, a plate to draw round, two strips of paper, one long and one short, a pencil.

  1. Draw round a plate to make a circle. Write 1 to 12 round the edge.
  2. Lay both strips with their ends at the middle of the circle.
  3. Show 4:30. Point the long strip at 6. Point the short strip halfway between 4 and 5.
  4. Now show 5:30. Look at where the short strip goes.

What you will see: At half past, the short hand is halfway between two numbers. It is not on a number.

If you cannot try it, this is what happens.
A clock face with the numbers 1 to 12. The short hand is halfway between 4 and 5. The long hand points at 6. The time under it is "4:30".1234567891011124:30
Two clock faces, one above the other. The top one shows "2:45". Its short hand is nearly at 3. The bottom one shows "3:45". Its short hand is nearly at 4.1234567891011122:451234567891011123:45
In both clocks, the long hand is at 9. The short hand is nearly at the next number.

A wrong idea many people have

At 2:45 the short hand is nearly at 3. So the time is 3:45.

Why it feels right: We read the hour from the number the short hand is nearest.

The test that breaks it: Set a paper clock to 3:00. Count back 15 minutes. You reach 2:45. The short hand backs away from 3. The long hand points at 9.

What is true: Read the hour from the number the short hand has passed. At 2:45 it has passed 2, so the hour is 2.

Key words

hour hand
the short hand. It shows the hour.
minute hand
the long hand. It shows the minutes.
24 hour time
time that counts the hours from midnight, from 00:00 to 23:59.

Back to your guess

The answer is B: The short hand tells the hour. The long hand tells the minutes.

The short hand shows the hour. The long hand shows the minutes. The long hand goes round 24 times a day. The short hand goes round twice.

Check yourself

Try each one before you look. A wrong answer tells you where to go next.

  1. What time does the clock show?

    A clock face with the numbers 1 to 12. The short hand is between 4 and 5. The long hand points at the 5.123456789101112
    Tap your answer.

    1. Yes, that is right. The long hand points at 5. That is 5 × 5 = 25 minutes. The short hand has passed 4. So it is 4:25.

    2. Not this one. You read the 5 as 5 minutes. Each number is 5 minutes, so the 5 means 25 minutes. Try another.

    3. Not this one. The short hand has not reached 5. The hour is the number it has passed, which is 4. Try another.

    See the answer

    4:25

    The long hand points at 5. That is 5 × 5 = 25 minutes. The short hand has passed 4. So it is 4:25.

    • If you chose B: You read the 5 as 5 minutes. Each number is 5 minutes, so the 5 means 25 minutes.
    • If you chose C: The short hand has not reached 5. The hour is the number it has passed, which is 4.

  2. What time does this clock show? Read it to the nearest minute.

    A clock face with the numbers 1 to 12. The short hand is just before 11. The long hand is 3 small marks past the 10.123456789101112
    See the answer

    10:53

    The 10 is 10 × 5 = 50 minutes. Add 3 small marks to get 53. The short hand has passed 10, so the hour is 10.

  3. Which time is 18:30 in 24 hour time?

    Tap your answer.

    1. Not this one. In the morning, the 24 hour time is below 12. 18 is after midday. Try another.

    2. Yes, that is right. 18 is more than 12, so it is after midday. 18 − 12 = 6. So 18:30 is half past 6 in the evening.

    3. Not this one. You took away 10. Take away 12 instead: 18 − 12 = 6. Try another.

    See the answer

    half past 6 in the evening

    18 is more than 12, so it is after midday. 18 − 12 = 6. So 18:30 is half past 6 in the evening.

    • If you chose A: In the morning, the 24 hour time is below 12. 18 is after midday.
    • If you chose C: You took away 10. Take away 12 instead: 18 − 12 = 6.

  4. Write 8:15 in the evening in 24 hour time.

    See the answer

    20:15

    In the evening, add 12 to the hour. 8 + 12 = 20. So it is 20:15.

  5. It is half past 9. Where is the short hand?

    Tap your answer.

    1. Not this one. It is exactly on 9 only at 9 o'clock. Half an hour later it has moved on. Try another.

    2. Yes, that is right. The short hand moves all the time. Half an hour is half of the way from 9 to 10.

    3. Not this one. It reaches 10 only at 10 o'clock. At half past 9 it is on its way. Try another.

    See the answer

    halfway between 9 and 10

    The short hand moves all the time. Half an hour is half of the way from 9 to 10.

    • If you chose A: It is exactly on 9 only at 9 o'clock. Half an hour later it has moved on.
    • If you chose C: It reaches 10 only at 10 o'clock. At half past 9 it is on its way.

  6. From an earlier chapter

    A road is 3 km long. How many metres is that?

    See the answer

    3 000 m

    1 km is 1 000 m. 3 × 1 000 = 3 000.

  7. What time does the clock show?

    A clock face with the numbers 1 to 12. The short hand is just past the 3. The long hand points at the 2.123456789101112
    Tap your answer.

    1. Not this one. You read the short hand as the minutes. The short hand shows the hour. The long hand shows the minutes. Try another.

    2. Not this one. You read the 2 as 2 minutes. Each number is 5 minutes, so the 2 means 10 minutes. Try another.

    3. Yes, that is right. The long hand points at 2. That is 2 × 5 = 10 minutes. The short hand has passed 3. So it is 3:10.

    See the answer

    3:10

    The long hand points at 2. That is 2 × 5 = 10 minutes. The short hand has passed 3. So it is 3:10.

    • If you chose A: You read the short hand as the minutes. The short hand shows the hour. The long hand shows the minutes.
    • If you chose B: You read the 2 as 2 minutes. Each number is 5 minutes, so the 2 means 10 minutes.

  8. The clock shows a time in the evening. Which is its 24 hour time?

    A clock face with the numbers 1 to 12. The short hand is nearly at the 8. The long hand points at the 9.123456789101112
    Tap your answer.

    1. Yes, that is right. The clock shows 7:45. In the evening, add 12 to the hour. 7 + 12 = 19. So it is 19:45.

    2. Not this one. You read the clock right. But in the evening, 24 hour time adds 12 to the hour. Try another.

    3. Not this one. You added 10 to the hour. Add 12 instead. 7 + 12 = 19. Try another.

    See the answer

    19:45

    The clock shows 7:45. In the evening, add 12 to the hour. 7 + 12 = 19. So it is 19:45.

    • If you chose B: You read the clock right. But in the evening, 24 hour time adds 12 to the hour.
    • If you chose C: You added 10 to the hour. Add 12 instead. 7 + 12 = 19.

Keep it

Copy this into your exercise book.

The short hand shows the hour. The long hand shows the minutes. Each number is 5 minutes. From 1 o'clock after midday, add 12 for 24 hour time.

Draw: A clock showing 7:20. Write 4 × 5 = 20 beside it.

Reading with a child? A short page for the adult: what this chapter teaches and three questions to ask.

No internet tomorrow? Save the whole book as one file (882 KB). It opens on any phone.