Clock Face - Reading A Modern Clock Face

Reading A Modern Clock Face

Most modern clocks have the numbers 1 through 12 printed at equally spaced intervals around the periphery of the face with the 12 at the top, indicating the hour, and on many models, sixty dots or lines evenly spaced in a ring around the outside of the dial, indicating minutes and seconds. The time is read by observing the placement of several "hands" which emanate from the centre of the dial:

  • A short thick "hour" hand;
  • A long, thinner "minute" hand; and on some models,
  • A very thin "sweep" seconds hand

All the hands continuously rotate around the dial in a 'clockwise' direction - in the direction of increasing numbers.

  • The sweep hand moves relatively quickly, taking a full minute (sixty seconds) to make a complete rotation from '12 to 12.' For every rotation of the sweep hand, the minute hand will move from one minute mark to the next.
  • The minute hand rotates more slowly around the dial, it takes one hour (sixty minutes) to make a complete rotation from '12 to 12.' For every rotation of the minute hand, the hour hand will move from one hour mark to the next.
  • The hour hand moves slowest of all, taking twelve hours (half a day) to make a complete rotation. It starts from '12' at midnight, makes one rotation until it is pointing at '12' again at noon, then makes another rotation until it is pointing at '12' again at midnight of the next night.

In the example picture, showing a two handed clock, the minute hand is on "14" minutes and the hour hand is moving from '12' to '1' - this indicates a time of 12:14.

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