ISEE Upper Level Quantitative : How to find the angle of clock hands

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for ISEE Upper Level Quantitative

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Example Questions

Example Question #1 : How To Find The Angle Of Clock Hands

The clock in the classroom reads 5:00pm. What is the angle that the hands are forming?

Possible Answers:

\(\displaystyle 360^{\circ}\)

\(\displaystyle 50^{\circ}\)

\(\displaystyle 50^{\circ}\)

\(\displaystyle 150^{\circ}\)

\(\displaystyle 180^{\circ}\)

Correct answer:

\(\displaystyle 150^{\circ}\)

Explanation:

Since the clock is a circle, you can determine that the total number of degrees inside the circle is 360. Since a clock has 12 numbers, we can divide 360 by 12 to see what the angle is between two numbers that are right next to each other. Thus, we can see that the angle between two numbers right next to each other is \(\displaystyle 30^{\circ}\). However, the clock is reading 5:00, so there are five numbers we have to take in to account. Therefore, we multiply 30 by 5, which gives us \(\displaystyle 150^{\circ}\) as our answer.

Example Question #1 : How To Find The Angle Of Clock Hands

The time on a clock reads 5:00. What is the measure of the central angle formed by the hands of the clock?

Possible Answers:

\(\displaystyle 150^{\circ}\)

\(\displaystyle 180^{\circ}\)

\(\displaystyle 50^{\circ}\)

\(\displaystyle 240^{\circ}\)

\(\displaystyle 120^{\circ}\)

Correct answer:

\(\displaystyle 150^{\circ}\)

Explanation:

First, remember that the number of degrees in a circle is 360. Then, figure out how many degrees are in between each number on the face of the clock. Since there are 12 numbers, there are \(\displaystyle 30^{\circ}\) between each number. Since the time reads 5:00, multiply \(\displaystyle 30\cdot 5\), which yields \(\displaystyle 150^{\circ}\).

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