Time

In this article, we will take a journey into the world of time, learn about clocks and discover how we measure moments.

What is Time?

Time is an exciting concept that helps in our daily routine from waking up in the morning to going to bed at night. It helps us to organize our day and understand. Time can be defined as the ongoing sequence of events.

Measurement of Time

Time is measured by a clock. On a clock face, there are 12 numbers to know about the time. A clock consists of three hands:

1. The big hand represents minutes.
2. The small hand represents the hours.
3. The thin hand represents seconds.

In a digital clock, the numbers are related to hours, minutes and seconds, shown as:

Let's practice reading a clock:

This is how the minute hand's movement displays various times within one hour.

Quarters of Time

Understanding a "quarter of time" is a simple concept related to fractions of time. When we talk about a quarter of the time, we are referring to dividing time into four equal parts or segments.Each of these segments represents one quarter which is described using the figure:

Example: Which of the following options states the correct time for the clock shown below?

a) Quarter to 12
b) Quarter to 1
c) Quarter past 12
d) Quarter past 1

Answer: b) Quarter to 1

Explanation: The time is 12 : 45 which means quarter to 1.

Units of Time

Years, months, weeks, days, hours, minutes and seconds

Arrangement of the units of time in increasing order:

seconds < minutes < days < weeks < months < years

Conversion of One Unit to Another Unit

Time conversion includes:

• 1 year = 12 months

Note:

a) 1 month can have 28, 29, 30 or 31 days depending upon the month.
b) 1 year = 365 days
c) 1 leap year = 366 days
d) 1 year has 52 weeks and one day whereas a leap year has 52 weeks and two days.
e) 1 week = 7 days

• 1 day = 24 hours
• 1 hour = 60 minutes
• 1 minute = 60 seconds
• 1 hour = 3600 seconds

Understanding time in both the 12-hour and 24-hour formats is necessary. Here's a simple explanation of both formats:

12-Hour Format:

In the 12-hour format, we divide the day into two parts:

Ante Meridiem (AM) and Post Meridiem (PM).

• AM is from midnight (12:00 AM) to midday (12:00 PM).
• PM is from midday (12:00 PM) to midnight (12:00 AM).

The cycle of the day is shown as:

This format is often used to tell time on regular clocks and watches. To tell time in the 12-hour format, we use numbers from 1 to 12 followed by "AM" or "PM" to show whether it's morning, afternoon, evening or night.

24-Hour Format:

The 24-hour format is also known as the international time format. In this format, the entire day is divided into 24 hours and we don't use "AM" or "PM".

• The hours run from 00:00 (midnight) to 23:59 (just before the next midnight).
• It's a continuous count of time so there is no need to switch between AM and PM.

For example, 6:10 AM in the 12-hour format is equivalent to 06:10 in the 24-hour format and 8:45 PM in the 12-hour format is equivalent to 20:45 in the 24-hour format.

This clock shows both 12-hour and 24-hour formats.

Let's learn about terms related to days:

• Today means the day we are in right now.
• Yesterday means the day that came before today.
• Tomorrow means the day that comes after today.

Let’s understand by taking an example:

Example: If a new baby was born on April 10, 2020, then what was his age on January 10, 2021?

a) 6 months
b) 8 months
c) 9 months
d) 12 months

Answer: c) 9 months

Explanation: The months of the new baby are shown as:

The age of the baby was 9 months.