Stage 5 · Time & measures
Reading a clock
Long hand × 5 = minutes; short hand = hour.
How to do it
Method
Long hand × 5 = minutes; short hand = hour
Long hand on 5: 5 × 5 = 25 min
Another way
Count on in fives
5, 10, 15, 20, 25 → 25
In full
Read the long hand first, then the short hand. The number the long hand points to, times 5, is the minutes: on 5, 5 × 5 = 25, so 25 minutes; between two numbers, count the small marks on from the one before: 2 marks past 5, 25 + 2 = 27 minutes. The hour is the number the short hand has just passed: between 7 and 8, it is 7 and some minutes. The long hand on 12 means o'clock, such as 3 o'clock; on 6 it means half past, such as half past 3. Careful: at 45 minutes past 7 the short hand is close to 8 but not there yet, so the hour is still 7. Or count on in fives from 12: 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 — the same answer.
Worked examples
Have a go first, then open each one for the answer and the working.
Example 1
? o'clock
Show the answer and working
Answer: 3 o'clock
The long hand on 12 means o'clock, and the short hand is on 3: 3 o'clock
Example 2
? minutes past 1
Show the answer and working
Answer: 20 minutes past 1
The long hand is on 4, 4 × 5 = 20, so it is 20 minutes past 1
Example 3
55 minutes past ?
Show the answer and working
Answer: 55 minutes past 1
The short hand is between 1 and 2: it has passed 1 but not reached 2, so it is 55 minutes past 1
Example 4
55 minutes past ?
Show the answer and working
Answer: 55 minutes past 6
The short hand is between 6 and 7: it has passed 6 but not reached 7, so it is 55 minutes past 6
Practise reading a clock in the game →Stage 5 · Time & measures · Free to start, unlimited questions, no download