How to read time

Topic Notes

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.