How to Read a Clock with Hands | The Most Simple Guide
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It is quite difficult to read a clock with hands for children. Because of today’s digital world, the digital one is more popular than the clock with hands. With a simple knowledge of numbers, you can read a time with ease.
But not to worry, we are going to write a simple guide on how to read a clock with your hands. Some watches also come with pictures or just a line as hour makers. It is a bit harder to understand these types of clocks.
However, most clocks have numbers or Roman numbers as hour makers.
How to read a clock
Every clock comes with different hour makers. Hour makers like roman numerals or any symbols are confusing and hard to understand. In the digital clock, you only need to read hours and minutes.
Clockmakers use variations in the hour markers to make the watch more stylish. In this section, we will cover how to read the digital and clock with variations like roman numbers.
Reading Time on Digital Clock
Reading time on a digital type is as simple as drinking water. On a digital clock, you will see only two numbers. The numbers on the left side are hours, and on the right side are minutes.
If you see “02” on the left side and “45” on the right side, then it means two hours and forty-five minutes. AM and PM are also easy to understand on the digital clock. You will see AM and PM in small fonts under the minutes.
Some digital clock also shows month, date, and year. These digital clocks are called calendar-type watches as well. You can also set alarms in digital clocks. However, it requires more energy than other types of watches.
Reading month, date, day, and year is also simple. But the place varies according to the model and brand of the digital clock. You can check the user guide if it is difficult for you.
Some digital clock has a 24-hour setting (Military time). But you can easily change this setting. If you see 13 on the left side, it means 1 PM. If you see 01 on the left side, it means 1 AM.
Reading Clock with Different Hour Makers
If you are a beginner, then it may be difficult to read clocks with variations. There are many models that come with roman numerals. Mostly grandfather type comes with roman numbers.
To read the time on this type of clock, you will need enough knowledge about roman numbers. The first three numbers are easy to understand.
Some clocks also come without any numbers. In this case, you can take the first line as 12 starting from the center. Some clocks will also come with symbols as well.
Read Now: What is a Tachymeter on a Watch and How to Read & Use it
How to read a Clock with Hands
The clock with hands is also known as an analog clock. The analog comes with three hands that we have discussed above. The second, minute, and hour all measure time but are not the same. The big hand shows minutes, the small shows hours, and the long hand shows second.
Read Time in Analogue Clock
The analog clock comes with 12 sections on the dial. To understand the analog clock, you should know these basic formulas.
- 1 day = 24 hours
- one hour = 60 minutes
- 1 minute = 60 seconds
In the 12 sections, there is a 5-minute segment between each section. In the center, you will see the number “12”. When you go to the right side of “12”, you will see 1, 2,…12 numbers with a 5-minute segment between each number.
Let’s understand the three hands-on analog clocks. The big hand you see in the clock is the minute hand. It shows minutes. If it is on the number “2”, you will know it is ten minutes passed. The small hand is the hour hand that shows hours.
If the hour hand is on number “2”, it will be called 2 o’clock. You will see a thin hand on the dial that is second-hand.
Let’s consider that the minute hand is on the number “6” and the hour hand is on the number “8”. If this happens, the time is 8:30 AM/PM.
Understanding AM and PM
You can know the time by using small and big hands. However, the clock with hands will not show AM or PM. You should know the time of the day. If you check the time after midnight, then it is AM, and if you check the time afternoon, then it is PM.
Let’s have an example. If it is midnight or morning, the hour hand is on 3 and the minute hand is on 5, then the time is 03:25 AM. If it is noon or evening, the hour hand is on 5 and the minute hand is on 7, then the time is 05:35 PM.
What are hands on a Clock Called
Usually, there are three hands second hand, minute hand, and hour hand. We will give you all information about these three hands in this section.
Definition of Second Hand
The second hand is a thin hand that is used to show the number of seconds. The second hand is the hand that moves fastest on the clock. Once this second hand completes a full rotation on the clock, it means one minute (60 seconds) is passed.
Please note that the hour makers mark the hours, not seconds or minutes. If the second hand is on the 4 number means it is 20 seconds, not 4. The second hand is not necessary for clocks. Some models do not include second-hand.
Definition of Minute Hand
The large hand you see on the dial is the minute hand. The minute hand shows the number of minutes. Once the minute hand completes full rotation means. The small marks on the dial show number of minutes.
If the minute hand crosses two lines after number 6, then it is 32 minutes past the hour. You can also count the small line from 12.
Definition of Hour Hand
The small hand is called the hour hand. It shows the number of hours on the clock. The hour hand completes two full rounds in a day. If the hour hand is on the number 11, then the time is 11 o’clock.
Most models come with hands only. However, some models have subdials for day and date with clock hands, hours, and minutes. There will be small numbers and hands-on subdials to show the day or date.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Question 1: How to read a clock worksheet?
Answer: Reading a worksheet is as simple as reading a clock. Identify the position of both hands, and then find where these hands are pointing. Sometimes you will get the time, and you have to point hands according to that time in the clock.
Question 2: How to read a clock for kids?
Answer: It is confusing to read time in a clock for kids. But you can make it easy with fun activities. Make sure that your child knows the basics of reading a clock. If he doesn’t know, then practice counting 1to 60 numbers to tell time.
Question 3: How to read analog clock fast?
Answer: According to automotive researchers, our brain takes more time to process digital data than analog data. So reading an analog is faster than the digital clock. However, reading an analog will require primary practices. You will read the analog faster according to your practice and the sharpness of your brain.
Question 4: How to read a clock gauge?
Answer: The clock gauge is also divided into 12 segments that represent inches and feet. The small (hour) hand indicates feet, and the big (minute) hand indicates inches.
If the big hand is on 7 and the small hand is on 2, it means the liquid level is 2 feet and 7 inches. The 4:30 on the clock gauge is 4 feet and 6 inches liquid level.
Question 5: How to read a clock in Spanish?
Answer: To read a clock in Spanish, you have to learn Spanish numbers.
Question 6: What time is it in Spanish?
Answer: If you want to ask what time it is in Spanish, then you can ask, “¿Qué hora es?”
Final Verdict
The analog watch with hands does not show AM or PM. However, you can understand this according to the sun’s position as well. Another difficulty with the analog clock is different types of hour makers. These are two things that you should concentrate on to read the clock with your hands.
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