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 INDEX

Clocks, Calendars & Logs E-Book

S. No. Topic Pg. No.

1.1 Clocks 1

1.2 Some Examples 1

1.3 Clock is losing/gaining Time 2

1.4 What is 360/13? 3

1.5 More Solved Examples 4

2.1 Calendars 5

2.2 Solved Examples 6

3.1 Logarithms 7

3.2 Solved Examples 8

 Clo cks , Ca le ndars & L ogs

1.1 Clocks
The dial of a clock is divided into 12 spaces, which stand for the hours of the day. Each hour space is further
subdivided into 5 spaces – this represents duration of 1 minute. There are typically 2 hands that rotate on the
1 th
clock. The hour hand and the minute hand. The hour hand covers of the dial in one hour’s time. The
12
minute hand covers exactly 1 circumference of the dial. In terms of relative speed, the minute hand is moving
at a rate equivalent to 55 minutes per hour ahead of the hour hand. So in 1 minute the minute hand covers a
55 11
relative distance equivalent to or minutes.
60 12

1.2 Solved Examples

Ex.1 At what time between 4 and 5 are the minute and hour hand together?

Sol: At 4 O’clock the relative distance between the hour and the minute hand is 20 minutes.

To catch up with the hour hand, the minute hand has to cover a relative distance of 20 minutes at the
11
relative speed of minutes per minute.
12
20 240 9
Thus time required = = or 21 minutes.
11 11 11
12

Ex.2 At what time between 4 and 5 are the minute and hour hand be at right angles?

Sol: At 4 O’clock the relative distance between the hour and the minute hand is 20 minutes.

To make a 90–degree angle with the hour hand, the minute hand has to cover a relative distance of 5
11 5 60 5
minutes at the relative speed of minutes per minute. Thus time required = = or 5
12 11 11 11
12
minutes.

Hang on, there is still one more case. When a relative distance of 35 minutes has been covered, even
then the angles would be at right angles.

35 420 2
Time required = = or 38 minutes
11 11 11
12
Ex. 3 At what time between 4 and 5 are the minute and hour hand be in a straight line in the opposite
direction?

Sol: At 4 O’clock the relative distance between the hour and the minute hand is 20 minutes.
To make a 180–degree angle with the hour hand, the minute hand has to cover a relative distance of
11
50 minutes at the relative speed of minutes per minute. Thus time required = 50  12/11 = 600/11
12
or 54 6/11 minutes.

1.3 Clock is losing/gaining Time

Too Fast and Too Slow:

If a watch indicates 9.20, when the correct time is 9.10, it is said to be 10 minutes too fast. And if it indicates
9.00, when the correct time is 9.10, it is said to be 10 minutes too slow.
Such kind of problems appear in exams very often, when a clock runs faster or slower than the expected
pace. There are just two possibilities:

Clock is running fast: It is also referred to as gaining time i.e. when a normal clock covers 60 minutes, a
faster clock will cover more than 60 minutes.

Clock is running slow: It is also referred to as losing time i.e. when a normal clock covers 60 minutes, a
slower clock will cover less than 60 minutes.

Ex. 1 A watch gains 5 minutes in one hour and was set right at 8 AM. What time will it show at 8PM on the
same day?

Sol: A correct clock would have completed 12 hours by 8 pm. But the faster clock actually covers 5 min.
extra in one hour. So, it will cover 12 × 5 = 60 minutes extra.
Therefore, when the correct clock would show 8 pm, the faster clock will show 60 minutes extra i.e. 9
pm.

Ex. 2 A watch loses 5 seconds in one hour and was set right at 7am. What time will it show at 2 pm on the
same day?

Sol: A correct clock would have completed 7 hours by 2 pm, whereas the slower clock looses 5 seconds
per hour i.e. 5 × 7 = 35 seconds in 7 hours.
Therefore the slower clock shows 1:59:25 pm.

NOTE: “Even a broken clock is right twice a day.” However, a clock which gains or loses a few minutes might
not be right twice a day or even once a day. It would be right when it had gained/ lost exactly 12 hours.

Ex.3 A watch loses 5 minutes every hour and was set right at 6am on a Monday. When will it show the
correct time again?

Sol: For the watch to show the correct time again, it should lose 12 hours.
It loses 5 minutes in 1 hour.
⇒ It loses 1 minute in 12 minutes
⇒ It will lose 12 hours (or 720 minutes) in 720 × 12 minutes = 8640 minutes = 144 hours = 6 days.
⇒Thus, the clock will show the correct time again at 6am on next Sunday.

Ex. 4: A clock is set right at 8 am. The clock gains 10 minutes in 24 hours. What will be the true time when
the clock indicates 1 pm on the next day?

Sol: Time from 8 am to 1 pm on the following day is 29 hrs. Now, 24 hrs 10 min of this clock
= 24 hours of correct clock. So 29 hours of this clock is
 29  24
= 28 hours 48 minutes. So the time is 12 minutes before 1 pm.
24 1
6

Ex. 5 The minute hand of a clock overtakes the hour hand at intervals of 63 minutes of correct time. How
much does the clock lose or gain?

Sol: In a correct clock, the minute hand gains 55–minute spaces over the hour hand in 60 minutes.
To be together again, the minute hand must gain 60 min over the hour hand. We know that 60
60 1
minutes are gained in  60 minutes i.e. 65 minutes.
55 11
But we know that they are together in 63 minutes.
27
So gain in 63 minutes is minutes.
11
24  60 27 8
Gain in 24 hours =  = 56 min.
63 11 77

Ex. 6 A watch gains uniformly. It was observed that it was 5 min slow at 12 o’clock in the night on Sunday.
On Thursday at 6 pm it was 5 min 48 second fast. When was it correct?

Sol: The time between 12 O’clock on Sunday night and 6 pm on Thursday = 90 hours.
29 54
Now the watch gains 5 = minutes in 90 hours.
5 5
90  5  5 125
So the watch gains 5 minutes in  = hours
54 3
= 41 hours 40 minutes.
Thus, the watch is correct at 5: 40 on Tuesday.

1.4 What is 360/13?

The concept of relative speed can be applied to solve problems based on clocks. The two hands are similar to
two runners running around a circular track. The key to understand clock-based puzzles is that the hands are
 
not independent. When the hour hand moves by some angle x , the minute hand moves by the amount 12x .

 1 
The hour hand turns 360 in 12 hours or, per minute. Also, the minute hand turns 6 in one minute.
2

11
Therefore, the minute hand chases the hour hand around a circular track with a relative speed of per min.
2
Concept of interchanging of the hands: Consider that a man went out somewhere between 5 and 6, and
returned after one hour i.e. between 6 and 7 and found that the ha nds have exactly interchanged their
positions. So, when he went out, the hour hand was somewhere between 25 min and 30 min space on the
diagram. Since he returned within an hour, the hands haven’t crossed each other. So, when he goes out, the
minute hand is between 30 min and 35 min space.


x
40

35 25
30
When the man returns, the minute hand and hour hand have interchanged their positions i.e. the minute hand
Before
is between 25 and 30 whereas the hour hand is between 30 and 35.
 
x
40
35 25
30

After

Looking at the "after" diagram again, we find that within the hour, the minute hand has moved the distance
shown by the red arc below and the hour hand has moved the distance described by the green arc.

  
In terms of angles, the minute hand has moved 360 - x , whereas, the hour hand has moved x . But, the
  
minute hand moves 12 times as fast as the hour hand. Therefore, ( 360 - x ) = 12x , solving this we get x =
360
.
13
Now, we can generalize that if the man returns after n hours and finds that hands have interchanged then the
    
minute hand will have moved [ n × (360 - x )]. Therefore, [( n × (360 -x )] = 12x . Solving this, we get x=
360n 
where, n is the no. of hours after which the man returns.
13

1.5 More Solved Examples

Ex.1 Meera left for Abhay’s house sometime between 4 pm and 5 pm and when she returned sometime
between 5 pm and 6 pm, she found that the minute hand and hour hand have exactly interchanged
their positions. At what time did Meera leave?

Sol: According to the question, as Meera returned between 5 - 6, so when she went out, the minute hand
should be somewhere between 5 and 6 and the hour hand between 4 and 5 on the clock.
360 n 
As discussed initially, the angle xo =
13
Here, n= 1 hours. So angle
360n  3601 360 
 xo 
13 13 = 13 .
According to the figure shown above, we have to find the time after 4:00 pm when the minute hand is
o o
x ahead of the hour hand. At 4:00 pm the minute hand is 120 behind the hour hand . So using the
o o o
concept of relative speed, the minute hand has to travel 120 + x with a relative speed of 11/2 per
min .

Time taken = (120 + 360/13) × 2/11 mins = 3840/143 = 26 122/143 min. past 4’o clock.
Ex.2 Meera left for Abhay’s house sometime between 5 pm and 6 pm and when she returned sometime
between 9 pm and 10 pm, she found that the minute hand and the hour hand have exactly
interchanged their positions. At what time did Meera leave?

Sol: According to the question, as Meera returned between 9 - 10, so, when she went out the minute hand
should be somewhere between 9 and 10 and the hour hand was between 5 and 6.

10

9 x


7 5
6
Before

 360n 
As discussed initially, the angle x =
13
360  4 1440 o

Here, n= 4 hours. So angle x =  . According to the figure shown above, we have to
13 13

find the time after 5:00 pm when the minute hand is x ahead of the hour hand. At 5:00 pm the minute

hand is 150 behind the hour hand. Using the concept of relative speed, the minute hand has to
  
travel 150 + x with a relative speed of 11/2 per min .
59
Time taken = (150 + 1440/13) × 2/11 mins = 47
143
59
So, the time she went out is 47 mins past 5:00 pm.
143

2.1 Calendars

In an ordinary year there are 365 days, which means 52 × 7 + 1, or 52 weeks and one day. This additional
day, we call an odd day. If 1 st January of this year is on Sunday, then 1 st January next year will be exactly 52
full weeks and a day after that – so on a Monday. So you can already decide if the New Year hangover is
going to be on a weekday or a weekend. This is also the reason how you can predict if CAT in the year 2002
is held on 24th Nov, then CAT in the year 2003 will be on the 30 th November. (CAT is held on the last Sunday
of November every year).
This is all right as long as the year is not a leap year. The Earth actually completes 1 orbit around the Sun
(which approximates our calendar year) in 365 1 days, (not exactly but actually a few minutes less). A leap
4
1
year occurs every 4 years to adjust for the day – so every 4th year has 366 days (2 odd days).
4
And as far as the few odd minutes of the orbit time are concerned, well every 100 years starting 1 AD, the
th
year is declared to be a non–leap year, but every 4 century is a leap year. So any year divisible by 400 will
be a leap year e.g. : 1200, 1600 and 2000. The years 1800, 1900 will be non leap years.
The concept of odd days is very important in determining the days of the week. Let us look at how many odd
days will there be in a century – i.e. 100 years. There will be 24 leap years and 76 non–leap years. This
means that there will be 24 × 2 + 76 × 1 = 124 odd days. Since 7 odd days make a week, to find out the net
odd days, divide 124 by 7. The remainder is 5 – this is the number of odd days in a century.

You can remember the following points relating to the concepts of calendars.
100 years give us 5 odd days as calculated above.
200 years give us 5  2 = 10 – 7 (one week)  3 odd days.
300 years give us 5  3 = 15 – 14 (two weeks)  1 odd day.
400 years give us {5  4 + 1 (leap century)} – 21} (three weeks)  0 odd days.
Month of January gives us 31 – 28 = 3 odd days.
Month of February gives us 28 – 28 = 0 odd day in a normal year and 1 odd day in a leap year and so on for
all the other months.

In total first six months i.e. January to June give us 6 odd days in a normal year and 7 – 7 = 0 odd days in a
th
leap year. This is going to help, when you want to find a day, which is after 30 June.
In total first nine months i.e. January to September give us 0 odd day in a normal year and 1 odd day in a leap
year.

When you count from the beginning i.e. 1 st January, 0001

1 odd day mean – Monday

2 odd days mean – Tuesday
3 odd days mean – Wednesday and so on 6 odd days means Saturday.

2.2 Solved Examples

Ex. 1 Let us take the example of 10 May, 1999.

Sol: We know that in 1600 years there will be 0 odd days.

So start counting from here. In 300 years after that, there will be 1 odd day. (see exercise above)
10 May, 1999 implies that starting from the end of 1900, 98 years, 4 months and 10 days have
elapsed since then.
98 years have 24 leap years and 74 non leap years leading to 122 odd days.
Dividing by 7 and checking remainder, net odd days = 3.
In the 4 months and 10 days of 1999, there are 31 days in Jan, 28 in Feb, 31 in March, and 30 in
April.
Total days elapsed in 1999 = 31+28+31+30+10 = 130.
So net odd days = 4.
Adding up all the odd days we have got so far we get a total of 1 + 3 + 4 = 8.
Net odd day = 1, so May 10, 1999 was a Monday.
(The rule is that 0 odd days means the day is a Sunday, 1 means Monday, 2 mean s Tuesday and so
on.)
Sometimes a reference date might be given to you. This makes your task easier, as you then start
counting odd days only from that day.

Ex. 2 You know that May 10, 1999 was a Monday. So what will be the day on 10–Dec–2001?

Sol: Here goes again. May 10, 2001 will be a Thursday. (1999 is a non leap year so add one day and
2000 is a leap year, so add 2 odd days.). Now start counting the days from May 10, 2001 to 10 –Dec–
2001. Complete months in between are June, July, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov – total days = 30 + 31 + 31 +
30 + 31 + 30 = 183 days. Plus 21 days in May and 10 days in Dec. So total days = 214. Net odd days
= 4. So 10–Dec–2001 will be 4 days after Thursday, which is Monday.

Ex. 3 What was the day on 15th August, 1947?

Sol: Up to first 1600 years  no odd day.

From 1601 – 1900  1 odd day
From 1901 – 1946: 46 + 11 (leap)
= 57 – 56 (complete weeks)  1 odd day
First six months give = 6 odd days
 July 3 = 3 odd days
Up to August 15 1 odd days


th
Total up to 15 August 10 odd days

Total no. of odd days  12 – 7 (complete week) = 5

Now counting from the beginning, 5 odd days, so India’s first Independence Day was on a Friday.

Ex. 4 Find the day for 9 December 2001

Sol: No. of odd days in 2000 years = 0.

Now we will calculate odd days in 2001.
As discussed in total first nine months i.e. January to September give us 0 odd days in a normal year.
After that October gives you 3 odd days.
November gives you 2 odd days.
And December, we want to go till 9, it will give us 9 – 7 = 2 odd days.
Total odd days are 3 + 2 + 2 = 7  0 odd days.
As discussed earlier, 0 odd days means Sunday.

3.1 Logar it hms

The logarithms of any positive number to a given base is the index of the power to which the base must be
raised in order to equal the given number. Thus ax = m, x is called the logarithm of m to the base a.
4
e.g. since 2 = 16, the logarithm of 16 to the base 2 is 4.
Given are some of the important formulas relating to logs.

 a log a N = N.
 Log a (MN) = Log a M + Log a N.
 Log a (PQR) = Log a P + Log a Q + Log a R.
 Log a (M/N) = Log a M – Log a N.
 Log a MN = N log a M.
 Log M M = 1
 Log M N = Log P N  Log P M
1
 Log MN =
Log N M
Log A C
 Log C to the base A B written as Log AB C is equal to .
B
 The natural numbers 1, 2, 3,… are respectively the logarithms of 10, 100, 1000, … to the base 10.
 The logarithm of “0” and negative numbers are not defined.

Note: To every positive number there corresponds a definite value of logarithm. By taking logarithms of a
certain expression and applying the properties of logarithms, the operations of multiplication, division,
involution and evolution are reduced to addition and subtraction of logarithms, and their multiplication and
division by a number, which is much easier to handle.
The logarithm of a number to the base “10” is known as common logarithm and the logarithm of a number to
the base “e” is known as natural logarithm.
Characteristic and Mantissa of Common Logarithms:
The integral part of the common logarithm of a number x > 0 is called the Characteristic and the fractional
part is called the mantissa.
e.g. the logarithm of 2 to the base 10 is 0.3010, where 0 is the characteristic and 3010 is the mantissa.
 n
Any positive number x can be written in the form x = a10 , where 1 < a < 10 and n is an integer. The number n
is called the order of the number x. e.g. 30 can be written as 3  101 and similarly 300 can be written 3  102.
The same rule applies to fractions as well where the value of n will be negative.
The characteristic of the logarithm of the given number x will be n and the mantissa will be the logarithm of a.
Therefore, while log 2 = 0.3010, log 20 will be 1.3010 as n in this case is 1.
Thus, the value of the characteristic of the logarithm of a number will help determine the number of integral
digits the number has = characteristic + 1.

3.2 Solved Examples

Ex.1 Find the logarithm of 64 to the base of 2.

Sol: You are supposed to find Log 2 64. Let it be equal to x.

Now Log 2 64 = x.  2x = 64  2x = 26  x = 6.
3
Ex.2 If the value of log 4 y = 3/2, find the value of y.

Now this can be written as (4) = y  (2 )

3/2 3 2 3/2 3
Sol: =y.
23 = y3  2 = y and this is the value of y.
3 2 5
Ex.3 Find the algebraic sum of logarithms Log [(x y )/z ]

Sol: Now this expression can be written as

Log x3 + log y2 – log z5.
 3 log x + 2 log y – 5 log z and this will be the answer.

Find the value of x from the equation a  c

x -2x 3x+1
Ex.4 =b .

Sol: Taking logarithms of both sides, you have

x log a – 2x log c = (3x + 1) log b ;  x log a – 2x log c
= 3x log b + log b;
 x log a – 2x log c – 3x log b = log b ;
x (log a – 2 log c – 3 log b) = log b ;
log b
 x= .
log a  2 log c  3 log b
Ex. 5 If log 2 = 0.3010, then how many digits are contained in the number 2 80?

log 2 = 80 log 2 = 80  0.3010 = 24.08.

80
Sol:
80
The characteristic of the log of 2 = 24.
Therefore, the number of digits the number has = 25.
Do not think that it has been rounded off.
Whether the number obtained is 24.15 or 24.85 the number of digits will be 25 only i.e. the smallest
integer greater than the value calculated.

Ex. 6 Solve for x: (log x)2 – log x3 + 2 = 0.

Sol: This is the same as (log x)2 – 3 log x + 2 = 0.

Substituting log x with a, we get  a – 3a + 2 = 0. Solving for a, we get
2
a = 2 or a = 1.
i.e. log x = 2 or log x = 1. Therefore, x = 100 or x = 10.
1 1 1
Ex. 7 Solve for   .
log pQR  1 logQ PR  1 log R PQ  1

1 1 1
Sol:    log PQR P .
log PQR  1 log PQR  Log P P log P PQR

Similarly from the second and third part you get Log PQR Q and Log PQR R respectively. Now the
equation becomes
 log PQR P  log PQRQ  log PQR R  log PQR PQR  1 .

1 2 3
Ex. 8 Find the value of the expression:   .
log3 2 log9 4 log 27 8

Applying the base change rule log 2 3  2log 22 9  3log 23 27 = log2 3 

4log2 3 9log 2 3
Sol: 
2 3
 log2 3 + 2 log2 3 – 3 log2 3 = 0.