How to Read a Stop Watch
Stop watches come in two main forms: non-digital traditional stop watches and electronic stop watches. Depending on what type of stop watch you're using, the steps for reading them will vary. While some watches offer more features than others, the basic premise for reading them remains the same.
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Instructions
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How To Read A Digital Stopwatch
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1
Look at the numbers that appear on the stop watch to the left of this step. The first numbers you see on the watch before the ":" are the minutes used. In the case of our included picture, 3 minutes have passed.
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2
Look at the first set of numbers after the ":". Those are the seconds. Our picture shows that 53 seconds have passed.
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3
Look at the last set of smaller number; these are the further numbers to the right. These numbers signify the hundredths of seconds; in this case, 17 hundredths of a second have passed.
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4
Place all of the number together to see your whole time. The stop watch above shows 3 minutes 53 seconds and 17 hundredths of a second.
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5
Check if your stop watch also offers "Laps". In this case, you will typically see each lap or the most current lap displayed along with a "Total Time" option at the bottom of the display. You will read these numbers in the same manner as a regular non-lap stop watch.
How To Read Non-Digital Stopwatches
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Examine the stop watch to the left of this step. The large handle turns clockwise and displays the seconds that have passed. For instance, if the hand ends on the 45 mark, then 45 seconds have passed.
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Examine the small hand inside the smaller circle. This hand also spins clockwise and signifies the number of minutes that have passed. If the hand ends on the 3, for instance, then 3 minutes have passed.
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Put the two hands together. For example, a small hand on the 3 and a large hand on the 45 means 3 minutes and 45 seconds have passed.
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Some non-digital stop watches only have a seconds timer. Although these are rare, you will have to keep track of the minutes on your own as only the big hand is present.
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