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How to read time

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Intros
Lessons
  1. Introduction to How to Read Time:
  2. How to read a digital clock
  3. What is an analog clock and how does it show time?
  4. How to read hours on an analog clock
  5. How to read minutes on an analog clock
  6. How to read seconds on an analog clock
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Examples
Lessons
  1. Reading Analog Clock Time
    Read the analog clock and write as digital time. Use the part of the day clue for writing AM or PM.
    1. Night Time: How to Read Time
    2. Afternoon Time: How to Read Time
    3. Morning Time: How to Read Time
    4. Night Time: How to Read Time
  2. Drawing Hands on a Clock
    Draw the hands on the clock to show the time.
    1. 2:35:50 PM
    2. 5:18:29 PM
    3. 10:07:00 AM
    4. 3:22:38 AM
  3. Analog Clocks Without Markings
    Estimating the time shown on the clock. Use the part of the day clue for writing AM or PM.
    1. Afternoon Time: How to Read Time
    2. Morning Time: How to Read Time
    3. Evening Time: How to Read Time
    4. Night Time: How to Read Time
  4. Reading Time Word Problem
    When Alice left for school, the sun had just risen. Her watch showed the hour hand between 6 and 7 and the minute hand on 4.
    1. What time did Alice leave for school?
    2. Alice's mom finishes work and the sun is setting. Her watch shows the hour hand between 7 and 8 and the minute hand at 11. What time did Alice's mom finish work?
    3. When it was Alice's bed time her clock showed this time. Describe the hour hand and minute hand. What time did she go to bed?
      Time: How to Read Time
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Practice
Topic Notes
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In this lesson, we will learn:

  • A digital clock can be read left to right as it shows [hours : minutes : seconds] and [AM/PM] in 12-hour clock time.
  • An analog (analogue) clock is a circle with 12 big divisions for the hours with 5 smaller divisions each (total of 60 divisions) to represent the minutes and the hours for 12-hour clock time.

Notes:

  • To read a digital clock:
Time: How to Read Time
    • It shows all the digits for hours, minutes, and sometimes seconds
    • Each different unit of time is separated by a colon
    • It can also show whether it is AM or PM for 12-hour clock time

  • When we talk about AM and PM , it actually means before midday (ante meridiem) and after midday (post meridiem)
    • The previous day ends and the next day starts at midnight (12:00 AM)
    • The middle of the day is at noon (12:00 PM)
    • There are four different parts of the day, they can be generally defined:
      • Morning: starts at sunrise, ends before noon (6:00 AM to 11:59 AM)
      • Afternoon: starts after noon, ends at sunset (12:01 PM to 5:00 PM)
      • Evening: starts at sunset, ends when it is dark (5:01 PM to 8:00 PM)
      • Night: starts when it is dark, ends before sunrise (8:01 PM to 5:59 AM)

  • To read an analog clock (or spelled as analogue clock):
Time: How to Read Time
    • AM/PM is not specified. There are three hands on an analog clock to represent:
      • Hours: the shorter, thicker hand
      • Minutes: the longer, thicker hand
      • Seconds: the longest and thinnest hand

  • The analog clock is a circle with 12 equal and labelled divisions around it. These numbers (1-12) refer to the hours.
  • Each of the 12 divisions is further divided into 5 equal (unlabelled) smaller parts (12×5=60 total divisions; there are 60 minutes in 1 hour). You can find out the number of minutes by counting by 5s if they land on any of the numbers (1-12).
  • The number of seconds can be read in the same way as minutes. The only difference is that this hand is moving the fastest, because there are 60 seconds in 1 minute.
  • The hands of the clock move in the clockwise direction to move forward (from top  ⟶  \, \longrightarrow \, right  ⟶  \, \longrightarrow \, bottom  ⟶  \, \longrightarrow \, left  ⟶  \, \longrightarrow \, back to top). The opposite/reverse direction (counter clockwise) is going backwards.