Analogue Clock: Face and Hands
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Analogue Clock – Face and Hands
An analogue clock is a type of clock that uses hands to show the time. Analogue clock faces are round with numbers and two or three hands that move around the face. In this text, we will learn about the different parts of an analogue clock and how to read the time. Once you have read it, you can have a go at our analogue clock practice with our analogue clock worksheets.
Parts of an Analogue Clock
An analogue clock has three main parts: the face, the hour hand and the minute hand. Some analogue clocks also have a second hand.
The Face: The face of an analogue clock is a round circle with numbers from 1 to 12. The numbers represent the hours of the day. Below is an analogue clock picture
Analogue Clock Hands
The Hour Hand: The hour hand is shorter and thicker than the minute hand. It points to the current hour on the analogue clock face. The hour hand moves slowly and takes 12 hours to complete one full rotation.
The Minute Hand: The minute hand is longer and thinner than the hour hand. It points to the current minute on the clock (analogue). The minute hand moves faster than the hour hand and takes 60 minutes to complete one full rotation.
The Second Hand: Some analogue clocks have a second hand, which is the thinnest and longest hand. It moves even faster than the minute hand and points to the current second on the clock face. Here is a picture of an analogue clock with the hands labelled.
Telling the Time on Analogue Clocks
To read the time on an analogue clock, follow these steps:
| Step | What to do | What will it tell? |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Look at the hour hand and see which number it is pointing to. | This tells you the hour |
| 2. | Look at the minute hand and see which number it is pointing to. | This tells you the minute |
| 3. | If the clock has a second hand, look at it to see the seconds. | This tells you the second |
Let’s have a look at analogue clock times and how to read an analogue clock. For example, if the hour hand is pointing to the 3 and the minute hand is pointing to the 12, like on this image of an analogue clock, the time is 3:00. If the hour hand is pointing to the 8 and the minute hand is pointing to the 30, the time is 8:30.
Differences between Analogue and Digital Clocks
Digital and analogue clocks are two different types of clocks.
Analogue Clocks: Analogue clocks have a round face with hands that move around to show the time. They are often found in homes, schools and public places. Analogue clocks can be a bit more challenging to read, but they can also be more visually appealing.
Digital Clocks: Digital clocks display the time using numbers. They are often found on electronic devices like smartphones, computers and microwaves. Digital clocks are easier to read because the time is shown in digits. Feel free to learn more about digital clocks here: Telling Time from Digital and Analogue Clocks where you can also have a go at our digital and analogue clock worksheet.
The Story and Importance of Analogue Clocks
Analogue clocks have a fascinating story that goes back many, many years. They were the first kind of clock that lots of people used. The first analogue clocks were made with gears and springs to help tell time. These clocks were very important in helping people keep track of time and find their way around.
The way analogue clocks look, with their round face and moving hands, was based on how things in the sky move. The hour hand is like the sun moving across the sky, and the minute hand moves faster, just like we do during the day. Analogue clocks are not just for telling time, they can also be beautiful pieces of art. They are often decorated in fancy ways and made with a lot of skill.
Analogue clocks have always been really important in helping us organise our day, plan our work and even in how cities are built. In the 17th century, the pendulum was invented, and it made analogue clocks much more accurate. Even though we have digital clocks now, people still love analogue clocks because they look nice and remind us of old times.
Analogue Clock – Summary
Let’s review what we have learnt about analogue clocks in this text.
We have learnt that:
- Analogue clocks are used as a traditional way of telling time.
- They have a round face with numbers and hands that move to show the time.
- By understanding the parts of an analogue clock and how to read the time, you can become a master at telling time!
For more on learning about and teaching analogue clocks, have a look at our analogue and digital clock activities where you can practise reading analogue clock time.
Analogue Clocks – Frequently Asked Questions
Transcript Analogue Clock: Face and Hands
Zuri and Freddie are having a fun day searching through items at their local landfill when they hear something odd. "Freddie, there's something down here!" "I found it! Look what a pretty blue it is... what... is it?" Zuri and Freddie have found an analogue clock. Today we will learn about the features of an analogue clock, such as its face and hands. "Analogue Clock: Face and Hands" "Uh, Freddie? Why is it making that noise?" "More importantly, how do we get it to stop?" Let's take a look at the analogue clock that Zuri and Freddie have found. This type of clock displays the time with moving arrows, typically, around a circle. It's different from the rectangular digital clock, which displays time with digits instead of arrows. Today we'll focus on the features of an analogue clock. The analogue clock shows numbers one to twelve around the circle. The clock starts at one and ends at twelve. An analogue clock has arrows that move to show the time, also called hands. The first arrow is the hour arrow or the short hand. You can remember this because the hour hand is short, and so is the word "hour". The next arrow is the minute arrow, or minute hand. You can remember this because the minute arrow is longer, and the word "minute" is longer than the word "hour". Which arrow is pointing to the number three on Zuri and Freddie's clock? The shorter arrow is pointing to the number three, so the hour hand is pointing to the number three. Which arrow is pointing to the number twelve on Zuri and Freddie's clock? The longer arrow is pointing to the number twelve, so the minute hand is pointing to the number twelve. The hour and minute hands always move in the same direction around the clock, this is called clockwise. Once the minute hand makes it all the way around the clock, sixty minutes, or, one hour has passed. On a digital clock, there is usually a label that says AM or PM. That tells us whether it's before 12:00 noon, AM, or after 12:00 noon, PM. There isn't a label on analogue clocks that shows AM or PM so it's important to pay attention to what is happening at that time to know if the time is AM or PM. For example, if Freddie says he's going to play outside at three using an analogue clock we know it is 3:00 PM, or afternoon, not 3:00 AM, or morning. If the analogue clock says nine while Zuri eats breakfast, do you think it is 9:00 AM or PM? If Zuri is eating breakfast it is probably in the morning. That means she will be eating at 9:00 AM. 9:00 AM shows something that is happening in the morning while 9:00 PM shows something that is happening at night. Let's summarise. Today we explored an analogue clock. We learned that it has numbers from one to twelve all around it, and that as time moves forward the arrows move around the clock in a direction called clockwise. We learned about the hour and minute hands, and explored the difference between AM and PM. Let's see if Zuri and Freddie have figured out their analogue clock yet. "Did you make it stop yet?"
Analogue Clock: Face and Hands exercise
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Can you find all of the analogue clocks?
HintsDoes it have a long hand and a short hand?
Numbers above 12 don't appear on analogue clocks.
SolutionThese are the analogue clocks!
They:
- are round in shape
- feature a long (minute) hand and a short (hour) hand
- display the numbers 1 to 12
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Can you match the times?
HintsThink about which hand is which. What is the blue hand showing? What is the red hand showing?
On these clocks, the blue hand is the longer minute hand and the red hand is the shorter hour hand.
This clock shows 2 o' clock. The long minute hand is at 12 and the short hour hand is at 2.
Solution- The first clock shows three o' clock. The long minute (blue) hand is at 12 and the short hour (red) hand is at 3. When the long minute hand is at 12, it is always an o' clock time.
- The second clock shows 12 o' clock. Both hands are at 12.
- The third clock shows 6 o' clock. The long minute hand is at 12 and the short hour hand is at 6.
- The fourth clock shows 1 o' clock. The long minute hand is at 12 and the short hour hand is at 1.
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Do you know the features of an analogue clock?
HintsCan you use the clock to help you?
What shape is the clock? Which numbers are displayed?
Remember, the length of the hands helps us to remember what each one does. On this clock, the blue hand is the minute hand and the red hand is the hour hand.
Solution1. An analogue clock is usually shaped like a circle.
It displays numbers one to twelve around the edge.2. It has two hands.
The hands move round in a clockwise direction to show the time.3. The long hand is also called the minute hand.
The short hand is also called the hour hand.4. The analogue clock does not display AM or PM, so it is important to pay attention to what is happening to know what time of day it is.
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Can you order Zuri's day?
HintsDoes the picture give you a clue as to whether it is morning or evening?
Remember 12 noon is in the middle of the day, then the analogue clock goes back to 1:00pm.
SolutionZuri got up at 7 o' clock and brushed her teeth at 7 o' clock, but one of them happened at 7:00 AM and one of them happened at 7:00 PM. You normally get out of bed in the morning so Zuri got up at 7:00 AM. She is wearing her pyjamas and it looks like the evening when she is brushing her teeth, so this event happened at 7:00 PM.
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- Zuri got up at 7:00 AM
- Zuri ate her breakfast at 8:00 AM
- Zuri ate her lunch at 12:00 noon which is 12:00 PM
- Zuri played outside with Freddie at 2:00 PM
- Zuri brushed her teeth at 7:00 PM
- Zuri went to sleep at 8:00 PM
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Can you label an analogue clock?
HintsRemember, the length of each hand gives us a clue about the job it does.
This clock is showing the time 9 o' clock because the long minute hand is at 12 and the short hour hand is at 9.
SolutionHere is the fully labelled analogue clock.
- We can remember that the long hand is the minute hand, as minute is a longer word than hour.
- We can remember that the short hand is the hour hand, as hour is a shorter word than minute.
- The numbers move round from one in a clockwise direction.
- The time displayed on the clock is 3 o' clock.
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Can you solve Freddie and Zuri's puzzle?
HintsRemember, when the minute hand goes all the way round, the hour hand just moves from one number to the next.
If it is going anti-clockwise, the hour hand will move back one number.
If we're starting at 3:00 and going round the clock once, we are adding on one hour.
SolutionThe correct time is 5 o' clock!
- The clock started at 3 o' clock.
- Freddie and Zuri wound it forwards one hour to 4 o' clock.
- They then wound it forwards two more hours to 6 o' clock.
- Finally, they wound it backwards one hour to 5 o' clock.
