Telling time (hour, half-hour) Knowledge-Based Study

Study notes

1. An analog clock is a tool that shows the time of day using numbers and rotating hands.

   • The Clock Face: Features the numbers 1 through 12 arranged evenly in a circle.
   • The Hour Hand: The shorter hand that indicates the hour.
   • The Minute Hand: The longer hand that indicates the minutes.

   Both hands move in the same direction, which is called clockwise.

   When an exact hour begins, zero minutes have passed in that hour. We refer to this as o'clock.

   To read time to the hour:

   1. Look at the long minute hand. It points straight up to the 12.
   2. Look at the short hour hand. It points directly at a specific number on the clock face.

   Example: If the minute hand points to 12 and the hour hand points directly at 5, the time is 5 o'clock. In digital form, this is written as 5:00.

   One full hour equals 60 minutes. Half of an hour is 30 minutes, also called half past the hour.

   To read time to the half-hour:

   1. Look at the long minute hand. It points straight down to the 6, representing 30 minutes.
   2. Look at the short hour hand. Because half of the hour has passed, the short hand points halfway between two numbers.

   Always name the number that the hour hand has already passed.

   Example: If the minute hand points to 6 and the hour hand is halfway between 2 and 3, the time is half past 2. In digital form, this is written as 2:30.

   You can quickly identify the time by checking the position of the minute hand:

   • On the Hour (:00): The long hand points directly to 12, and the short hand points exactly at an hour number.
   • Half-Hour (:30): The long hand points directly to 6, and the short hand sits midway between two numbers.

   Remember: Always identify which number the short hour hand has just passed when reading half-hour times.