Time to the Minute — Answer Key
Part A: Fix the Sentence
Each sentence has an error. Rewrite it correctly on the line.
1. Fix the sentence:
When the minute hand points to 7, it means 7 minutes past the hour.
Corrected: When the minute hand points to 7, it means 35 minutes past the hour because each number represents 5 minutes.
Each number on the clock face stands for 5 minutes, so the 7 means 7 × 5 = 35 minutes past the hour, not 7 minutes.
2. Fix the sentence:
At 3:48 the hour hand is pointing exactly at the 3.
Corrected: At 3:48 the hour hand is between the 3 and the 4 because it moves slowly toward the next hour.
The hour hand moves slowly and gradually drifts from one number to the next as the minutes pass. By 3:48, almost a full hour has gone by, so the hour hand sits between the 3 and 4, getting close to 4.
3. Fix the sentence:
There are 30 minutes in one hour.
Corrected: There are 60 minutes in one hour.
An hour is divided into 60 equal minutes, not 30. The minute hand makes one full trip around the clock face in those 60 minutes.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. When the minute hand points to the 9, it shows 45 minutes past the hour.
Each clock number is worth 5 minutes, so the 9 marks 9 × 5 = 45 minutes past the hour.
2. A clock showing the hour hand between 2 and 3 with the minute hand on 6 reads 2:30.
When the minute hand points to 6, it is halfway around the clock, which is 30 minutes past the hour. With the hour hand between 2 and 3, the time reads 2:30.
3. There are 60 minutes in one hour.
An hour is divided into 60 equal minutes, the time it takes for the minute hand to make one full trip around the clock face.
4. When the minute hand points to the 4, it shows 20 minutes past the hour.
Each clock number stands for 5 minutes, so the 4 represents 4 × 5 = 20 minutes past the hour.
Part C: True or False?
Read each statement. Circle True or False.
1. The minute hand is the longer hand on the clock.
True False
True. The minute hand is built longer than the hour hand so you can easily tell them apart and read the minutes accurately.
2. When the minute hand points to 12, it is half past the hour.
True False
False. When the minute hand points to 12, it shows 0 minutes past the hour, meaning it is exactly on the hour. Half past the hour is when the minute hand points to 6.
3. Each number on the clock face represents 5 minutes.
True False
True. The clock face is divided into 12 equal sections, and 60 minutes divided by 12 numbers gives 5 minutes per number.