If a clock shows 3:15, what is the angle between the hour and the minute hand?
Correct Answer: 7.5 degrees
- Step 1: Understand that a clock has two hands: the hour hand and the minute hand.
- Step 2: Know that each hour on the clock represents 30 degrees (360 degrees / 12 hours).
- Step 3: Calculate the position of the hour hand at 3:15. The hour hand is at 3 hours, which is 3 * 30 = 90 degrees.
- Step 4: Since it's 15 minutes past 3, the hour hand moves further. Each minute, the hour hand moves 0.5 degrees (30 degrees / 60 minutes).
- Step 5: Calculate the additional movement of the hour hand for 15 minutes: 15 minutes * 0.5 degrees = 7.5 degrees.
- Step 6: Add the two positions of the hour hand together: 90 degrees + 7.5 degrees = 97.5 degrees.
- Step 7: Now calculate the position of the minute hand. Each minute represents 6 degrees (360 degrees / 60 minutes).
- Step 8: For 15 minutes, the minute hand is at 15 * 6 = 90 degrees.
- Step 9: Find the angle between the hour hand and the minute hand by taking the absolute difference: |97.5 degrees - 90 degrees|.
- Step 10: Calculate the difference: 97.5 - 90 = 7.5 degrees.
- Clock Angles – Understanding how to calculate the angles of the hour and minute hands based on their positions.
- Time Conversion – Converting time into degrees for both hour and minute hands.
- Absolute Difference – Calculating the absolute difference between the two angles to find the angle between the hands.
