Maths
114
So, we see that when the minute hand is at 12, the time is in full hours .
When the minute hand points at other numbers, the time is in hours and minutes .
Hour
When the minute hand is at 12 , the hour hand always points to an hour on the clock. We say, it is a full hour or o’clock. In this clock, the minute hand is at 12. The hour hand is at 3. So, the time is 3 o’clock.
3 o’clock can also be written as 3:00.
Half hour
When the minute hand is at 6 , the time is 30 minutes past the hour. We say, it is half past the hour.
In Clock C, the hour hand is at 2. The minute hand is at 12. So, the time is 2 o’clock.
C
The time is
We read it as
1:30
3:30
half past 1
half past 3
Telling the Time
In Clock A, the hour hand is at 1. The minute hand is at 12. So, the time is exactly 1 o’clock.
In Clock B, the hour hand is past 1, but has not reached 2. So, the hour still reads 1 o’clock. The minute hand is at 3. There are 5 minutes between every two numbers. So, the time is 15 minutes past 1 o’clock.
A
B