SME
Grade 3 Math · Measurement & Data
Time to the minute and elapsed time
Use this for “What time is it?” to the minute, on a clock with hands.
Diagram
4:37 a.m.
a.m. (midnight to noon)
p.m. (noon to midnight)
Short hand: 4.
Long hand: 37 minutes.
Drag the long hand to change the minutes.
Last number the long hand passed: 7
Extra minutes: 2
This is an example. Type your own values to start a new problem.
Hour
example
Minutes past
example
Last number the long hand passed
calculated
Extra minutes
calculated
Formulas
At 37 minutes the long hand has passed the 7
Fives in the minutes past = last number the long hand passed
5 × 7 + 2 = 37
5 × last number the long hand passed + extra minutes = minutes past
Assumptions
•
Count by 5s to the last number the long hand passed, then count on by 1s.
•
The hour is the number the short hand has just passed.
•
There are 60 minutes in an hour.
Step-by-step
WE KNOW
Hour: 4
Minutes past: 37
FIND
last number the long hand passed, extra minutes
Step 1 · Find last number the long hand passed
At 37 minutes the long hand has passed the ?
Fives in the minutes past = last number the long hand passed
Count by 5s as far as you can without going past the minutes.
Count by 5s: 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 → the long hand has passed the 7
Last number the long hand passed = 7
Step 2 · Find extra minutes
5 × 7 + ? = 37
5 × last number the long hand passed + extra minutes = minutes past
The extra minutes are the minutes past the last 5.
Extra minutes = 37 − 5 × 7
5 × 7 = 35
37 − 35 = 2
Extra minutes = 2
Check
Put the numbers back in. Both sides should match.
At 37 minutes the long hand has passed the 7 ✓
5 × 7 + 2 = 37 ✓
Topic check
See what you know: 5 questions on this topic
New questions each time. Pass to mark it complete.