What will be the measurement of the angle made by the hands at 18 min past 5?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → 51°
The minute hand moves 6° a minute (360° in 60 minutes) and the hour hand 0.5° a minute (30° in 60 minutes). Both positions are measured from 12, clockwise.
Minute hand at 18 minutes: \(18\times6=108^\circ\)
Hour hand at 5:18: \(5\times30+18\times0.5=150+9=159^\circ\)
Angle between the hands \(=159-108=\) 51°
Shortcut:
At H hours M minutes the angle is \(\left|30H-5.5M\right|\), since the minute hand gains 5.5° a minute on the hour hand
\(\left|30\times5-5.5\times18\right|=\left|150-99\right|=51^\circ\)