Q&A for How to Read a Clock

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Question

How do I read the clock a bit faster?

Community Answer

Always start with the little hand and remember each big number counts by fives. Just practice until you get faster.

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Question

What time is it when the small hand is on 8 and the big hand is on the 6?

Community Answer

The small hand indicates which hour it is and the big hand indicates what minute it is in 5 minute Increments so when the small hand is on the 8, it indicates the eighth hour. The big hand on 6 indicates 30 minutes, so it is 8:30.

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Question

When the hour hand is on the 8 and the minute hand is on the 3, what's the time?

Community Answer

8:15. When the hour hand is on the 8 that's 8:00, and when the minute hand is on the 3 that means 15 minutes, so the answer is 8:15.

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Question

How can I tell the difference between AM and PM?

Community Answer

On analog clocks, you will have to use your judgment. On digital clocks, there is often an "AM" and/or "PM" light that will illuminate to indicate this.

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Question

When the minute hand on the 7 and the hour hand between the 8 and 9, what time is it?

Community Answer

if the hand is in between that means the time is 8:35.

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Question

What does it mean when someone says "25 to 3"?

Community Answer

25 to (or 'til/until) 3 means that it will be 3 o'clock in 25 minutes. In other words, it's 2:35.

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Question

When the little hand is on the 8 and the big hand on the 3, what time is it?

Community Answer

8:15.

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Question

What time is it if the long hand is on the 10 and short hand is between 10 and 11?

Community Answer

If the long (minute) hand is on the 10, it's XX:50. If the short (hour) hand is between 10 and 11, it's 10:XX. Therefore, in your scenario, the time would be 10:50.

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Question

What does it mean if the hand is pointing to nine?

Community Answer

It depends on whether it is the shorter or longer hand. It could either mean that it is nine o'clock or that it is 45 minutes into the hour.

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Question

Is 12pm noon or midnight?

Community Answer

It's noon.

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Question

If the little hand is on the 7 and the big hand is on the 4, what time is it?

Community Answer

That would be 7:20.

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Question

Should I start with the big hand or the little hand?

Community Answer

The little hand tells the hour, so start there, then the longer hand for the minutes.

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Question

Is 12:00 p.m. noon or midnight?

Community Answer

12 p.m. is noon. 12 a.m. is midnight.

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Question

How do I read a clock that has long and short hands?

Community Answer

The long hand is the minute and the short hand is the hour. That is how you read a clock with short and long hands, also known as an analogue clock. Check out How to Read a Clock to know what to do.

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Question

What time is it when the hour head is on 3 and the minute head on 8?

Community Answer

When the hour hand is on 3 and the minute hand is on 8, that means 3 is the hour and 8 in minutes = 40. Your time is 3:40.

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Question

How do I read a clock in military time?

Community Answer

The time displayed will be translated into a single number between 1 - 2400 (24 hour = 1 day).

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Question

What is the time when the short hand points at three and the long hand points at 6?

Community Answer

3.30. The short hand is the hour hand and the long hand is the minute hand. So, the hour hand is at 3, the short hand is at 6, so, the time is 3.30.

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Question

If the hour hand is between 9 and 10 and the minute hand is between 4 and 3, what is the time?

Brianne Klimek

Community Answer

Depending on how close the minute hand is to the 3 or 4, it is between 9:15 and 9:20. The 3 represents 15 minutes past the hour and the 4 represents 20 minutes.

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Question

How do I know when it's quarter past?

Ruby

Top Answerer

The minute hand will be a quarter through the hour, so on the three.

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Question

How can I tell the time when the big hand is pointing between two numbers?

Ruby

Top Answerer

Most clocks will have smaller lines in between the numbers to show the exact minute. If they do, you count the dashes from the nearest five minutes. For example, if it's on the first dash after the one, you know its five minutes, plus a minute, so six minutes past. With clocks without dashes, you juts have to estimate. For example, if the hand is exactly between the two and three, you know it's about thirteen minutes past.

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