How to Read a Clock With 3 Hands
With the advent of the digital clock in the late 1960's, the three-hand clock became an almost obsolete, novelty item. Though in some applications, such as wall-hangings and decor, the three-hand clock still stands out as a classy and stylish alternative to its digital counterpart. Knowing how to read a three hand clock is an indispensable skill to keep from running to the microwave for the time, and for reading pocket- and wrist-watches.
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Instructions
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The longest hand of the clock is the "second hand." It will often be red, or a different color than the other two hands, and will move the most quickly around the face of the clock.
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The clock face will have divisions in either second or five second increments, which will allow you to tell how many seconds have passed in the current minute. For example, if the second hand is at the 35 second mark, 35 seconds have passed in the current minute, indicated by the minute hand.
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The minute hand is the second longest hand on the clock. This hand uses the same markings as the second hand, but in this case, the markings tell how many minutes have passed in the current hour. For example, if the minute hand is at the 20 minute mark, 20 minutes have passed in the hour indicated by the hour hand.
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The hour hand is the shortest on the clock face. This hand makes use of the hour markers, usually numbered 1 to 12 on the clock face. These markers tell how many hours have passed in the current day as 1 to 12 a.m., or how many hours have passed since noon, as 1 to 12 p.m. For example, if the hour hand is at the 6 hour mark, it is either 6 a.m. or 6 p.m. depending on the time of day.
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To effectively read a three hand clock, simply put each of the hand's markers together in your head to form the current time. For example, if the hour hand is at the 4 hour mark in the evening, the minute hand is at the 37 minute mark, and the second hand is at the 52 second mark, then the clock reads 4:37 p.m. and 52 seconds, or 4:37:52 p.m.
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Tips & Warnings
In many cases it is not necessary to know the time all the way down to the second. Therefore, many will skip the second hand all together in favor of only the minute and hour hands.
