Question

If the clock is showing evening/afternoon time, then write the time.

A. 3:37 pm
B. 3:37
C. 15:37
D. 15:37 pm

Answer 1

Hint: Here, we need to tell the afternoon/evening time as shown in the clock. We will first explain the two formats to express time: the 12-hour format and the 24-hour format. After that, we will explain how to read the time. After both of them are completely understood, we will read the time and write the answer both in the 12-hour and the 24-hour format. Then we will check which of the 4 options is true and hence we will get our required answer.

Complete step-by-step solution:
Here, we need to find the time.
To express the time, there are two methods: 12-hour format and 24-hour format.
In the 12-hour format, we see the time and write it in the terms of ‘am’ and ‘pm’. Afternoon, we write the time as ‘pm’ till midnight, and from midnight till noon, we write the time as ‘am’.
In the 24-hour format, we use no such unit. We simply write the time in numbers. Afternoon, we write the time adding 12 to it. For example, if it is 2:30 in the afternoon, we will write the time as:
$12+2:30=14:30$
Now, to see the time, we look at two hands, the hour hand and the minute hand. The minute hand is the longer one and the hour the shorter one.
The number of minutes is calculated as:
The first thing we need to remember is that when the minute hand is on 12, it is considered to be ‘0’ minutes.
Let ‘x’ be the number on which the minute hand is or the number just before the minute hand if it is between two numbers.
Now, let ‘y’ be the number of divisions on which the minute hand is between two numbers.
Then, the number of minutes is calculated as:
 $\left( 5\times x \right)+y$
Now, we will see how the hour is calculated:
Let ‘n’ be the number on which the hour hand points to of the number just before the hour hand if it is between two numbers.
Hence, the required hour is: n

Here, we can see that the hour hand lies between 3 and 4.
Thus, we can say that:
$n=3$
We can also see that the minute hand lies in the second division after number 7.
Thus, we can say that:
$\begin{align}
  & x=7 \\
 & y=2 \\
\end{align}$
Hence, it the hour going on is ‘3’.
Now, the number of minutes which have passed after the ${{3}^{rd}}$ hour are given as:
$\begin{align}
  & \left( 5\times 7 \right)+2 \\
 & \Rightarrow 35+2 \\
 & \Rightarrow 37 \\
\end{align}$
Hence, 37 minutes have been passed by after the ${{3}^{rd}}$ hour.
Now, we have been given that it is afternoon/ evening time.
Hence, to express the time in 12-hour format, we will write ‘pm’ after the time.
There have been 3 hours and 37 minutes passed since noon. Hence, the time is given by:
3:37 pm
Now, in 24-hour format it will be expressed as:
$\begin{align}
  & 12+3:37 \\
 & \Rightarrow 15:37 \\
\end{align}$
Thus, according to the 24-hour format the time is 15:37. Thus, both options (A) and (D) are the correct options.

Note: Be careful while reading the time and don’t get confused when the hour or the minute hands are between two numbers. Until and unless they both land on the exact number, we always consider the previous number to count to. Also, remember the difference between ‘am’ and ‘pm’ and that 24-hour format uses no such unit. As long as these things are kept in mind, the answer wouldn’t be wrong.