Time is everywhere — from morning to night, from Monday to Sunday, from January to December. In this chapter, we learn to read a clock, understand the calendar, and calculate time.
Reading a Clock
- A clock has two hands:
- Minute hand (long hand): moves around the clock every 60 minutes.
- Hour hand (short hand): moves from one number to the next in 1 hour.
The clock face has numbers 1 to 12. Each number the minute hand passes = 5 minutes.
12-Hour Time
- a.m. means the time from midnight (12:00 night) to noon (12:00 day).
- p.m. means from noon to midnight.
- 12:00 in the afternoon = 12 noon.
- 12:00 at night = 12 midnight.
Minutes and Hours
60 minutes = 1 hour.
30 minutes = half an hour.
15 minutes = quarter of an hour.
Reading the Calendar
- A week has 7 days: Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday.
- A year has 12 months and 365 days (366 in a leap year).
- Months have 28, 29, 30, or 31 days.
The minute hand is on 6 and the hour hand is between 3 and 4. What time is it?
Step 1: Minute hand on 6 = 30 minutes.
Step 2: Hour hand just past 3 = 3 hours.
Answer: 3:30 (three thirty).
A film starts at 4:00 p.m. and ends at 5:45 p.m. How long is the film?
Step 1: From 4:00 to 5:00 = 1 hour.
Step 2: From 5:00 to 5:45 = 45 minutes.
Answer: The film is 1 hour 45 minutes long.
Seema wakes up at 6:30 a.m. and leaves for school at 8:00 a.m. How much time does she have to get ready?
Step 1: From 6:30 to 8:00 = 1 hour 30 minutes.
Answer: She has 1 hour 30 minutes.
If today is Thursday, what day will it be after 5 days?
Step 1: Thursday + 5 = Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday.
Answer: Tuesday.
How many days are there in the month of March?
Answer: March has 31 days.
Key Facts
Key formulas
Common mistakes
Do not confuse the hour hand (short) with the minute hand (long). Also remember: a.m. is before noon; p.m. is after noon.
Summary
We read time using a clock (hours and minutes) and track dates using a calendar. Knowing units of time — seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months — helps us plan our day.