Setting clock: o’clock and half past
You learn to set and show a time on a clock.
How to work it out
- Set the big hand first: to 12 for o’clock, to 6 for half past.
- Then set the small hand: for o’clock exactly on the number.
- For half past halfway between numbers: half past three is between 3 and 4.
A worked example
Set 2:30 on a clock
- First set the big hand at the 6 (that is 30 minutes).
- Then set the small hand between the 2 and 3.
- The clock shows 2:30.
More examples
Set 4:15 on a clock
- First set the big hand at the 3 (that is 15 minutes).
- Then set the small hand just past the 4.
- The clock shows 4:15.
Set 9:45 on a clock
- First set the big hand at the 9 (that is 45 minutes).
- Then set the small hand just before the 10.
- The clock shows 9:45.
Watch out
You set the small hand first and then move it when you set the big hand.
Set the big hand (minutes) first. The small hand (hour) moves as you turn the big hand, so set the hour last.
You put the small hand exactly at the hour number: at 7 o'clock at the 7.
The small hand only points exactly at the hour at o'clock. At other times it stands between two numbers. At 7:15 it stands just past the 7.
Tips
- Big hand (minutes) first, then small hand (hour).
- The small hand stands between two numbers until the next whole hour.
Why it works
The big hand shows the minutes and the small hand the hour. A time like 7:45 has 45 minutes (big hand at 9) and an hour of 7 (small hand just before the 8). You set the big hand first because the small hand moves as the big hand moves.