The minute hand goes all the way round the clock in one hour. A quarter of the way round is 15 minutes. When the minute hand points to 3, it is quarter past the hour.
When the minute hand points to 9, it is three quarters of the way round. That is 45 minutes past, or quarter to the next hour. Quarter to 5 is the same time as 4:45.
Worked example
The minute hand points to 9. The hour hand is nearly at 7. What time is it?
- Minute hand on 9 means 45 minutes past, or quarter to.
- The next hour is 7.
Answer:quarter to 7 (6:45)
Key words
- quarter past
- 15 minutes after the hour
- quarter to
- 15 minutes before the hour
- minute hand
- the long hand
Practise this
New questions every time.
Common Core-referenced: 2.MD.C.7