Time to the Hour
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Basics on the topic Time to the Hour
Telling the Time to the Hour
You are at the airport and you are looking at a wall of clocks that show the gates for all the flights. One flight leaves at six o'clock and the other flight leaves at one o'clock. The analog clock tells the time. But can you read it too? In this text, we will learn how to tell time to the hour and how to read analog clocks.
How to tell time on Analog Clocks
When we read a clock, we call it telling the time. Analogue clocks show numbers one to twelve to show the hours in a day, but also represent the sixty minutes in one hour. If you want to know how to tell the time on a clock to the hour, just check to see if the minute hand is on the twelve. This means we say o’clock.
On an analogue clock, we always read the shorter hour hand first and then the longer minute hand. When reading the longer minute hand, the twelve at the top represents zero or the start of an hour. Whenever the minute hand is on the twelve we say o’clock.
If the minute hand is on the twelve, zero minutes have passed the hour so we would write 00 for the minutes.
This clock shows ten o’clock because the hour hand is on the 10 and the minute hand is on the twelve. We would write this as 10:00 but if we tried telling the time in words, we would say “ten o’clock.”
How to Tell the Time on a Clock – Steps
Telling the time to the hour is the first step when learning to tell the time. First, find the short hour hand and write the number it points to. Here, it's ten. The hour always gets written on the left side.
Then, find the long minute hand. When the minute hand points to the twelve, it means zero minutes, so we write two zeroes.This is because no minutes have passed and the top of the clock is the start of a new hour. The minutes are always written on the right. Remember: If we were telling the time in words, we would say this as “o’clock”.
Now can we read the time by saying ten o’clock. You can also watch the corresponding telling the time video as guidance.
Telling the Time using o’clock – Summary
Follow these steps to tell the time to the hour on an analog clock:
| Step # | What to do |
|---|---|
| 1 | Find the number the short hour hand points to. Write this number on the left. |
| 2 | Read the long minute hand. Write this number on the right. |
| 3 | When the minute hand points to twelve, it represents zero minutes and we write it as zero zero. |
| 4 | Tell time to the hour using the phrase o'clock and the number on the hour hand. |
Practise Telling the Time using Words
What Does Telling the Time o’clock Mean? Practise telling the time worksheets and telling the time activities and exercises can be found next to the text. Soon, you can help anyone who is asking for the time. You will see that learning how to tell the time is fun!
Transcript Time to the Hour
Freddie and Zuri are at the airport ready to leave to go on holiday! Freddie’s flight leaves at six o'clock and Zuri’s flight leaves at one o'clock. They need to read the clocks on the sign to work out what gate their planes will leave from. But, they don’t know where to go because they can’t tell the time. Let's help Freddie and Zuri by teaching them to tell, time to the hour. When we read a clock, we call it telling the time. This type of clock is called an analogue clock. The numbers one to twelve show the hours in a day and all the way round represents the minutes in an hour. To write the time digitally, we need to read the shorter hour hand first and then the longer minute hand. When reading the longer minute hand, the twelve at the top means it is the start of the hour and no minutes have passed. We can count forward in fives, all the way round the clock, to find how many minutes have passed. When the minute hand is directly on the twelve, it means o'clock and no minutes have passed. Let's tell the time to the hour. First, find the short hour hand and write the number it points to, here, it's ten. The hour always gets written on the left side. Then, find the long minute hand. When the minute hand points to the twelve, it means zero minutes have passed the hour, so we write zero, zero here. This is because the top of the clock is the start of a new hour. The minutes are always written on the right. Now we can read the time by saying ten o’clock. Let's practise telling the time to find Freddie's gate! Freddie's flight is at six o'clock. Let's read this clock to see if the times match. First, find the number the short hour hand points to, it is six. Write six here on the left. Now, look at the long minute hand. It is pointing to twelve. That means it's the start of the hour and we write zero, zero here on the right. Zero minutes have passed the hour. We also know that when the minute hand is on the twelve, it means o'clock. This clock says six o'clock just like Freddie's flight. That means Freddie must go to gate A! Now, let's help Zuri. Her flight is at one o'clock. Let's read the next clock to see if the times match. First, find the number the short hour hand points to, it is eleven. Write eleven here on the left. Now, look at the long minute hand. It's pointing to twelve. That means it's on the hour and we write zero, zero here on the right. Zero minutes have passed the hour. This clock says eleven o'clock which does not match Zuri's one o'clock flight. Try to read the next clock to see if this one matches instead. Remember to read the short hour hand first, then the long minute hand. What time does this clock read? It says one o'clock because the hour hand is pointing to the one and the minute hand is pointing to the twelve. This clock matches Zuri's flight, so she must go to gate C! While Freddie and Zuri walk to their gates, let's remember! When we read a clock, we call it telling the time. When writing the time digitally we always read the short hour hand first and then the long minute hand. To tell the time to the hour, first, find the number the short hour hand is pointing to. Write this number on the left. Then look at the long minute hand. Write this number on the right. When it points to twelve, it represents zero minutes and we write it as zero, zero. When we tell the time to the hour we use the phrase ‘o'clock’. "Ok! Bye...Don't forget to take pictures!"
Time to the Hour exercise
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How do we write the time?
HintsOn this clock, the hour hand is red and the minute hand is blue.
This clock is showing 7:00.
SolutionFirst, read the shorter hour hand and then read the longer minute hand.
If the longer minute hand is pointing at twelve, this means that no minutes have passed in the hour and the time is o' clock.
Find the number the short hour hand is pointing to, for example 10.
Write the hour in digits on the left.
Write the minutes in digits on the right.
Here the time is 10 o' clock which we would write 10:00.
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What time do the flights leave?
HintsWhere is the hour hand pointing to?
Remember, the hour hand is the shorter hand.
This clock shows 2:00.
SolutionHere are the matching times.
On each clock, the longer minute hand is pointing to twelve, meaning that all of the times are o' clock.
We need to look at the shorter hour hand to find out the time.
- On the first clock, the hour hand is pointing to 1 so the time is 1 o' clock or 1:00.
- On the second clock, the hour hand is pointing to 6 so the time is 6 o' clock or 6:00.
- On the third clock, the hour hand is pointing to 9 so the time is 9 o' clock or 9:00.
- On the fourth clock, the hour hand is pointing to 12 so the time is 12 o' clock or 12:00.
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What time do the activities start and end?
HintsIf the minute hand is pointing to 12, it means no minutes have passed the hour yet.
Look where the hour hand is pointing to to find out the hour.
SolutionZuri's activity
- The activity started at 9:00 . The minute hand is pointing to 12 and the hour hand is pointing to 9, therefore it is 9 o' clock or 9:00.
- The activity ended at 11:00 . The minute hand is pointing to 12 and the hour hand is pointing to 11, therefore it is 11 o' clock or 11:00.
- The activity started at 4:00 . The minute hand is pointing to 12 and the hour hand is pointing to 4, therefore it is 4 o' clock or 4:00.
- The activity ended at 6:00 . The minute hand is pointing to 12 and the hour hand is pointing to 6, therefore it is 6 o' clock or 6:00.
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Which gates should Zuri and Freddie go to?
HintsRemember, 00 in the minutes mean o' clock.
The longer hand is the minute hand.
SolutionZuri should go to Gate A.
- Zuri's flight leaves at 12:00.
- The hour hand should be pointing at 12 as that is the hour.
- Zero minutes have passed the hour, meaning that it is an o' clock time and the minute hand should also be pointing at 12.
- Freddie's flight leaves at 9:00.
- The hour hand should be pointing at 9 as that is the hour.
- Zero minutes have passed the hour, meaning that it is an o' clock time and the minute hand should be pointing at 12.
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What time is Zuri's return flight?
HintsRemember, on this clock, the short red hand is the hour hand and the long blue hand is the minute hand.
This clock shows 6:00 and the minute hand is pointing at 12.
SolutionThis clock is showing the correct departure time of 2:00 or 2 o' clock.
- The short hand is pointing at 2, which means the hour is 2.
- The longer minute hand is pointing at 12, which means no minutes have passed the hour and it is an o' clock time. We write this is 00.
- If we put the hour and minutes together we get 2:00.
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What time does Zuri land?
HintsIf the flight was delayed by one hour, what time did it leave?
What time will it be 3 hours after the actual departure time?
SolutionZuri's flight landed at 1:00 or 1 o' clock.
- It was due to depart at 9:00 but was delayed by one hour.
- This means that it departed at 10:00.
- Three hours after 10:00 is 1:00.
