CLASS XI

SUBJECT MATHEMATICS
TOPIC NUMERICAL PROBLEMS
SUB TOPIC (02) CLOCK
NO. OF SESSIONS TWO

CLOCK: A clock is an instrument which displays time divided into hours, minutes and seconds.
A clock mainly consists of four components.

DIAL: A clock is circular dial. The periphery of the dial is numbered 1 through 12 indicating the
hours in 12 hour cycle. The circumference of a dial is divided into 60 equal spaces called minute
spaces or 12 equal spaces called hour spaces. Every clock has mainly two hands, one is smaller
and other is bigger. The smaller hand is slower and the bigger hand is faster.

HOUR HAND: The smaller or slower hand of a clock is called the hour hand. It makes two
revolutions in a day.

MINUTE HAND: The bigger or faster hand of a clock is called the minute hand. It makes one
revolution in every hour.

SECOND HAND: Second hand indicates seconds on a circular dial. It makes one revolution per
minute.

Note: In 1 hour minute hand covers 60 min spaces whereas the hour hand covers 5 min spaces. Therefore,
minute hand gains (60 – 5) = 55 min in 1 h. Thus for every actual gain of 60 minutes of minute hand, the
relative gain is 55 minutes.

Important Points Related To Clock:

In 1 hour, both hands coincide once (i.e. 0o apart).

In 12 hours, both hands coincide 11 times (between 11 and 1’o clock they coincide once) and
in a day both hands coincide 22 times.
If two hands are at 90o they are 15 min spaces apart. This happens twice in 1 hour. In a
period of 12 h, the hands are at right angle 22 times (2 common positions) and in a day both
hands are at right angle 44 times.
If two hands are in opposite direction, (i.e. 180o apart), then they are 30 min spaces apart.
This happens once in 1 h. In a period of 12 h both hands are in opposite direction 11 times
and in a day both hands are in opposite direction 22 times.
Total angle 360o
Angle covered by minute hand is 1 min =   6o in 1 min.
Number of spaces 60
Angle covered by hour hand in 1 min. As hour hand covers 360o in 12 h.
 360o   30o  1o
Hence, hour hand covers    30o in 1 h. Hence hour hand covers    in 1 min.
 12   60  2
1o
From point 5 to 6, we can say that the minute hand goes ahead by 5 in comparison to
2
1o
hour hand. i.e. relative speed of the minute hand is 5 .
2
 If relative gain is 55 minutes spaces, then actual gain = 60 minutes.
 60  720 5
 If relative gain is 60 minutes spaces, then actual gain =   60  mins =  65 min.
 55  11 11
5
So, the minute hand and the hour hand are together i.e. they coincide after every 65 min.
11
In other words we can say that, if both the hour hand and minute hand move at their
5
normal speeds, then both the hands meet after 65 minutes.
11

Concept of slow and Fast Clocks: If a watch/clock indicates 9 : 15, when the correct time is 9,
then it is said to be 15 min too fast. On the other hand, if the watch/clock indicates 6 : 45, when the
correct time is 7, then it is said to be 15 min too slow.

Example 1: What will be angle between the two hands of a clock at 9 : 50?

Sol: Angle traced by the hour hand in 12 h = 360o

 Angle traced by the hour hand in 1 h = 30o

 59  360 59
o
And angle traced by the hour hand in 9 h, 50 min i.e.  h     295o .
 6  12 6

Similarly, angle traced by the minute hand in 60 min = 360o

360o
Angle traced by minute hand in 50 min =  50  300o
60

 Required angle = 300o – 295o = 5o

Example 2: A clock gains 10s in every 3h. If the clock was set right at 4 : 00 am on Monday
morning, then the time it will indicate on Tuesday evening at 7 : 00 pm.

Sol: Difference of time between 4:00 am on Monday to 7 : 00 pm on Tuesday = 24 + 12 + 3 = 39 h

10
Now, time gained by clock in 3 h = 10s, so time gained by clock in 1 h = s.
3

10
Time gained by clock in 39 h =  39  130s = 2 min 10 sec.
3

 correct time at 7:00 pm on clock is = 7 :02 : 10 pm.

Example 3: At what time between 4 o’clock and 5 o’clock, will the hands of a clock be together?

Sol: At 4 o’clock, the hour hand is at 4 and the minute hand is at 12. It means that they are 20
min spaces apart.

To be together, the minute hand must gain 20 min over the hour hand.

As we know, 55 min is gained by minute hand in 60 min.

  60  60  4 240 9
 20 minute will be gained in   20  min   min  21 min .
 55  11 11 11

9
Hence, the hands will coincide at 21 min past 4.
11

Example 4: At what time between 7 o’clock and 8 o’clock in the morning, will the both hands of
a clock be at right angle?

Sol: At 7 o’clock the minute hand will be 35 min spaces behind the hour hand. Now, when the
two hands are at right angle, they are 15 min spaces apart. So, they are at right angles in the
following cases:

Case I: When minute hand is 15 min spaces behind the hour hand.

In this case, minute hand will have to gain ( 35 – 15) = 20 min spaces.

55 min spaces are gained by it in 60 min.

 60  240 9
20 min spaces will be gained by it in   20  min  min  21 min
 55  11 11

9
Hence, they are at right angle at 21 min past 7.
11

Case II: When the minute hand is 15 min spaces ahead of the hour hand.

To be in this position, the minute hand will have to gain ( 35 + 15) = 50 min spaces.

55 min spaces are gained by it in 60 min.

 60  600 6
50 min spaces will be gained by it in   50  min  min  54 min
 55  11 11

6
Hence, they are at right angle at 54 min past 7.
11

Example 5: At what time between 7 o’clock and 8 o’clock, will the hands of a clock be in the
same straight line but not together?

Sol: At 7 o’clock, the hour hand is at 7 and the minute hand is at 12. It means that the two hands
are 25 min spaces apart.

To be in the same straight line ( but not together), they will be 30 min spaces apart.

 The minute hand will have to gain (30 – 25) = 5 min spaces over the hour hand.

As we know, 55 min spaces are gained in 60 min.

  60  5
 5 min will be gained in   5  min  5 min
 55  11

5
Hence, the hands will be in the same straight line but not together at 5 min past 7.
11

Example 6: At what time between 3 o’clock and 4 o’clock, will the hands of a clock be 4 min
apart?

Sol: At 3 o’clock, the minute hand is 15 min spaces behind the hour hand.

So, they are 4 min apart in the following cases:

Case I: When the minute hand is 4 min spaces behind the hour hand.

In this case, the minute hand has to gain ( 15 – 4) = 11 min spaces

55 min spaces are gained in 60 min.

 60  12  11
 11 min are gained in   11 min  min  12 min
 55  11

The hands will be 4 min apart at 12 min past 3.

Case II: When the minute hand is 4 min spaces ahead of the hour hand.

In this case, the minute hand has to gain ( 15 + 4 ) = 19 min spaces

55 min spaces are gained in 60 min.

 60  12  19 8
 19 min are gained in   19  min  min  20 min
 55  11 11

8
The hands will be 4 min apart at 20 min past 3.
11

Example 7: The minute hand of a clock overtakes the hour hand at intervals of 63 minutes of
the correct time. How much does a clock gain or loss in a day?

Sol: As we know that in a correct clock, the min hand gains 55 min spaces over the hour hand in
60 min.

To be together again, the minute hand must gain 60 min over the hour hand.

 60  5
55 min are gained in   60  min  65 min .
 55  11

But they are together after 63 min.

  5  5 27
 Gain in 63 min =  65  63  2 min  min
 11  11 11

 27 60  24  4320 8
 Gain in 24 h (one day) =    min  min  56 min
 11 11  77 77

8
As the result is positive, therefore the clock gains 56 min .
77

Example 8: London time is five and a half hours behind Delhi time. What time is it in London
if it is 2 : 35 am in Delhi.

Sol: At 2 : 35 a.m. in Delhi, the London time = ( 24 + 2 : 35) – ( 5:30) = 21 : 05.

Questions for Practice:

1. How many times of a day are the hands of a clock at right angles?
2. How many times of a day do the hands of a clock coincide?
3. In an accurate clock, find the angle traced by minute hand in a period of 2 hours 20
minutes.
4. Find the angle between the minute hand and the hour hand of a clock, when the time is
3 : 40.
5. At what time between 9 and 10 o’clock will the hands of a clock be together?
6. What time between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. does the clock show, if the hands of the clock are 18
minute spaces apart?
7. In every 30 minutes, the time of a watch increases by 3 minutes. If at 5 a.m. the time is
correct, then what time will the watch show after 6 hours?
8. At what angle the hands of a clock are inclined at 15 minutes past 5?

Answers

Q. No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
o
1 1
Ans. 44 22 8400 1300 49 min past 9 3:36 p.m. 11:36 a.m. 67
11 2