Time
Reading analogue clocks
An analogue clock has two hands. Together they let us tell the time ā even to the minute.
The two hands
ā¢ The short hand is the hour hand ā it shows the hour. ā¢ The long hand is the minute hand ā it shows the minutes. When the hour hand points exactly to a number and the minute hand is on 12, it is an o'clock time.
Minutes on the clock
The numbers on the clock face are 5 minutes apart. So the minute hand on 3 means 15 minutes past, and on 6 means 30 minutes past.
O'clock, quarter past and half past
ā¢ Minute hand on 12 ā o'clock. ā¢ Minute hand on 3 ā quarter past (15 minutes past). ā¢ Minute hand on 6 ā half past (30 minutes past).
Worked examples
An o'clock time
- The hour hand points exactly to 4.
- The minute hand points to 12.
Answer: It is 4 o'clock.
Quarter past
- The minute hand points to 3, which is 15 minutes.
- The hour hand is just past 3.
Answer: It is quarter past 3 (15 minutes past 3).
Half past
- The minute hand points to 6, which is 30 minutes.
- The hour hand is between 6 and 7.
Answer: It is half past 6 (30 minutes past 6).
Where you see this in real life
- Knowing when to leave to catch a bus.
- Reading the classroom clock to know when break starts.
- Telling how long until your favourite show.
Key words
- Analogue clock
- A clock with hands that point to numbers.
- Hour hand
- The short hand that shows the hour.
- Minute hand
- The long hand that shows the minutes.
- Quarter past
- 15 minutes past the hour ā the minute hand on 3.
- Half past
- 30 minutes past the hour ā the minute hand on 6.