For a clock, what is the angle between the hour hand and the minute hand when…
2025
For a clock, what is the angle between the hour hand and the minute hand when the clock shows 3:40 AM?
- A.
135º
- B.
130º
- C.
132.5º
- D.
120º
Attempted by 1040 students.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B
Answer: 130º
Reasoning:
Minute hand angle = 6° × minutes = 6° × 40 = 240°.
Hour hand angle = 30° × hours + 0.5° × minutes = 30° × 3 + 0.5° × 40 = 90° + 20° = 110°.
Angle between hands = absolute difference = |240° − 110°| = 130°.
Alternative formula: angle = |30H − 5.5M| (or |(11/2)M − 30H|) and take the absolute value. Using H = 3 and M = 40 gives |90 − 220| = 130°.