Interactive Analog Clock
Set an analog clock by dragging its hands or typing a time, and read it in words, as 12- and 24-hour time, and as the angles of the hands.
- 24-hour
- 15:20
- Angle between the hands
- 20°
Drag a hand, or focus it and use the arrow keys (Page Up/Down for bigger steps).
Change the values and press Calculate to work out your own figures.
Read a time on the clock
Type a time to set the clock and read it in words.
Show the working
- Hour hand: 30° per hour + 0.5° per minute = 30 × 3 + 0.5 × 20 = 100°
- Minute hand: 6° per minute = 6 × 20 = 120°
- Between: |100° − 120°| = 20°
Read the clock from its hands
Enter the number the hour hand has passed and the number the minute hand points to.
Show the working
- Hour: the number the hour hand has passed = 3
- Minutes: the minute hand's number × 5 = 4 × 5 = 20
How to use it
Type a time to set the clock and read it in words. Enter the number the hour hand has passed and the number the minute hand points to.
Drag either hand, use the arrow keys on a focused hand, or type a time. Typed times can be 24-hour (15:20) or 12-hour with am/pm (3:20 pm); seconds are optional.
Key facts
hour hand = 30° × hour + 0.5° × minute minute hand = 6° × minute angle between = |hour hand − minute hand| (or 360° minus that)
Reading the clock
The short hand shows the hour: read the last number it has passed. The long hand shows the minutes: its number × 5. With the hour hand between 3 and 4 and the minute hand on 4, it is 3:20.
Past the half hour, times are often said as minutes to the next hour: 3:45 is quarter to four, 3:50 is ten to four.
Why the hour hand isn't on the number
The hour hand moves too: 30° an hour is half a degree a minute, so at 3:30 it is halfway between 3 and 4.
Clock angles
| Time | Angle |
|---|---|
| 1:00 | 30° |
| 2:00 | 60° |
| 3:00 | 90° |
| 4:00 | 120° |
| 5:00 | 150° |
| 6:00 | 180° |
| 7:00 | 150° |
| 8:00 | 120° |
| 9:00 | 90° |
| 10:00 | 60° |
| 11:00 | 30° |
| 12:00 | 0° |
Questions
What angle do the hands make at 3:20?
20°: the hour hand is at 100° and the minute hand at 120°.
Is 12:00 PM noon or midnight?
Noon; 12:00 AM is midnight.
How do I move the hands with the keyboard?
Tab to a hand and use the arrow keys: the minute hand moves a minute at a time (5 with Page Up/Down), the hour hand an hour at a time.
Formulas
hour hand = 30° × hour + 0.5° × minute minute hand = 6° × minute angle between = |hour hand − minute hand| (or 360° minus that)
Sources
Limitations
- A 12-hour dial: the hands can't tell AM from PM, so the widget has an AM/PM switch.
- Times in words follow common British and US usage ("quarter past", "ten to").