Concept 1 of 6
Telling Time: O'Clock & Half Past
Today's big idea
The short hand gives the hour; the long hand shows o'clock or half past.
Long hand on 12 is o'clock; on 6 is half past.
How it works
👀 What's going on?
The short hand and the long hand tell you the time together.
💡 Here's the trick
The short hand points to the hour. When the long hand points to 12 it is o'clock; when it points to 6 it is half past.
Short hand on 3 and long hand on 12 is 3 o'clock. Move the long hand to 6 and it is half past 3.
✍️ Try it
Short hand between 7 and 8, long hand on 6. What time is it? → half past 7.
⚠️ Watch out
At half past, the short hand sits between two numbers, not on one.
Watch me solve one
Quanta solves it
“Watch how I think through one of these — then you try.”
THE PROBLEM
“The short hand is between 9 and 10, and the long hand is on 6. What time is it?”
- 1
Long hand on 6
Long hand on 6 means half past.
- 2
Read the hour
The short hand has just passed 9.
- 3
Answer ✓
half past 9
Now you try one — same steps, different story 👇
See it in action
⚡ Time to play!
Short hand is the hour; long hand shows o'clock or half past.
Quick check
✅ VERIFICATION
The long hand points to 12 and the short hand to 5. What time is it?
⚡ Finish the activity above first to answer.
Keep going!
Up next: Quarter Past & Five-Minute Time
Each clock number the long hand passes is 5 minutes.