Solved Exercises on Word Problems with Telling Time in Grade 3

Master telling time: reading analog clocks, calculating elapsed time, solving time-related problems through these 5 detailed exercises.

Solution: Exercises 1 to 3
1 Reading analog clocks
Exercise 1
The school bus arrives at 7:45 AM. Draw the hands on the analog clock to show this time. What time will it be 2 hours later?
Definition:

Analog clock reading: The hour hand points to the hour, and the minute hand points to the minutes past the hour

Clock reading method:
  1. Look at the hour hand to identify the hour
  2. Look at the minute hand to identify the minutes
  3. Each number on the clock represents 5 minutes (12 numbers × 5 = 60 minutes)
  4. Add hours to find future time
7:45 AM
→
+2 hours
→
9:45 AM
Step 1: Read the initial time

Hour hand between 7 and 8 = 7 o'clock

Minute hand on 9 = 9 × 5 = 45 minutes

Time: 7:45 AM

Step 2: Add 2 hours to the time

Hours: 7 + 2 = 9 hours

Minutes: 45 minutes stay the same

Step 3: State the final time

Time after 2 hours: 9:45 AM

The time will be 9:45 AM
Final answer:

The time will be 9:45 AM

Applied rules:

• Clock reading: Hour hand indicates hours, minute hand indicates minutes

• Time addition: Add hours to hours, minutes remain the same

• Minute calculation: Each number = 5 minutes (1→5, 2→10, 3→15, etc.)

2 Elapsed time calculation
Exercise 2
Soccer practice starts at 4:30 PM and ends at 6:15 PM. How long is soccer practice?
Definition:

Elapsed time: The difference between two times, calculated by subtracting the start time from the end time

4:30 PM
→
Practice Duration
→
6:15 PM
Step 1: Identify start and end times

Start time: 4:30 PM, End time: 6:15 PM

Step 2: Compare minutes

Start minutes (30) > End minutes (15), so we need to borrow

Step 3: Borrow 1 hour from end time

6:15 PM becomes 5:75 PM (since 6:15 = 5:75)

Step 4: Subtract hours and minutes

Hours: 5 - 4 = 1 hour

Minutes: 75 - 30 = 45 minutes

Soccer practice lasts 1 hour and 45 minutes
Final answer:

Soccer practice lasts 1 hour and 45 minutes

Applied rules:

• Subtraction principle: End time - Start time

• Borrowing rule: When minutes insufficient, borrow 1 hour = 60 minutes

• Time calculation: Subtract hours separately, then minutes separately

3 Time sequence problem
Exercise 3
Maya ate breakfast at 7:15 AM. She left for school 45 minutes later. She arrived at school 30 minutes after leaving home. What time did Maya arrive at school?
Definition:

Time sequence problem: Calculating multiple time intervals in order to find a final time

Breakfast
7:15 AM
+45 min
to leave
+30 min
to school
Step 1: Identify the starting time

Maya ate breakfast at 7:15 AM

Step 2: Add time to leave for school

7:15 AM + 45 minutes

Minutes: 15 + 45 = 60 minutes = 1 hour

Time: 7:15 AM + 1 hour = 8:15 AM

Step 3: Add travel time to school

8:15 AM + 30 minutes

Time: 8:15 AM + 30 minutes = 8:45 AM

Step 4: State the final answer

Maya arrived at school at 8:45 AM

Maya arrived at school at 8:45 AM
Final answer:

Maya arrived at school at 8:45 AM

Applied rules:

• Sequential addition: Add time intervals in order

• Time conversion: When minutes ≥ 60, convert to hours

• Step-by-step calculation: Process one interval at a time

Telling Time Fundamentals & Key Concepts
1 \text{ hour} = 60 \text{ minutes}
Basic Time Conversion
Clock Reading
Hour × 5 = Minutes
Each number represents 5 minutes
Time Addition
H₁ + H₂, M₁ + M₂
If M₁ + M₂ ≥ 60, convert to hours
Time Subtraction
H₂ - H₁, M₂ - M₁
If M₁ > M₂, borrow 1 hour
Key definitions:

Analog clock: A clock with hands that move around a circular face

Hour hand: The shorter hand that shows the hour

Minute hand: The longer hand that shows the minutes

Elapsed time: The amount of time that passes between two events

Clock reading methods:
  1. Hour identification: Look at the hour hand's position
  2. Minute calculation: Count by 5s for each number the minute hand passes
  3. Time addition: Add hours to hours, minutes to minutes
  4. Time subtraction: Subtract hours from hours, minutes from minutes
Tip 1: Remember: the hour hand moves slowly, so if it's between 7 and 8, it's still 7 o'clock.
Tip 2: Count by 5s to find minutes: 1→5, 2→10, 3→15, 4→20, etc.
Tip 3: When subtracting time, if minutes aren't enough, borrow 1 hour (60 minutes).
Common errors: Misreading hour hand position, counting minutes incorrectly, forgetting to carry over when adding.
Key relationships: 60 minutes = 1 hour, 12 hours on analog clock face, 60 seconds = 1 minute.
Important time facts to remember:

• 1 hour = 60 minutes

• 1 minute = 60 seconds

• Analog clock has 12 numbers, each representing 5 minutes

• When adding: If minutes ≥ 60, convert to hours

• When subtracting: If minutes insufficient, borrow 1 hour

Solution: Exercises 4 to 5
4 Multi-step time problem
Exercise 4
Tom started his homework at 4:20 PM. He worked for 45 minutes, took a 15-minute break, then worked for another 30 minutes. What time did he finish?
Definition:

Multi-step time problem: Calculating multiple time intervals sequentially to find a final time

Start
4:20 PM
+45 min
work
+15 min
break
+30 min
work
Step 1: Identify the starting time

Tom started homework at 4:20 PM

Step 2: Add first work period

4:20 PM + 45 minutes

Minutes: 20 + 45 = 65 minutes

Since 65 ≥ 60: 65 - 60 = 5 minutes, add 1 hour

Time: 4:20 PM + 1 hour + 5 minutes = 5:05 PM

Step 3: Add break time

5:05 PM + 15 minutes = 5:20 PM

Step 4: Add second work period

5:20 PM + 30 minutes = 5:50 PM

Tom finished at 5:50 PM
Final answer:

Tom finished his homework at 5:50 PM

Applied rules:

• Sequential addition: Add time intervals in order

• Time conversion: When minutes ≥ 60, convert to hours

• Step-by-step calculation: Process one interval at a time

5 Time comparison problem
Exercise 5
A movie starts at 2:45 PM and lasts for 1 hour and 50 minutes. Will it end before 5:00 PM? Show your work.
Definition:

Time comparison problem: Calculating end time and comparing it to a reference time

2:45 PM
→
+1h 50m
→
4:35 PM
Step 1: Identify start time and duration

Start time: 2:45 PM, Duration: 1 hour 50 minutes

Step 2: Add hours to hours

Hours: 2 + 1 = 3 hours

Step 3: Add minutes to minutes

Minutes: 45 + 50 = 95 minutes

Step 4: Convert excess minutes to hours

95 minutes = 60 + 35 = 1 hour 35 minutes

Step 5: Add converted hours to total

Total hours: 3 + 1 = 4 hours

Total minutes: 35 minutes

End time: 4:35 PM

Step 6: Compare with reference time

4:35 PM < 5:00 PM, so yes, it ends before 5:00 PM

Yes, the movie ends at 4:35 PM, which is before 5:00 PM
Final answer:

Yes, the movie will end at 4:35 PM, which is before 5:00 PM

Applied rules:

• Time addition: Add hours to hours, minutes to minutes

• Time conversion: Convert minutes ≥ 60 to hours

• Time comparison: Compare calculated time with reference time

Detailed Summary: Telling Time Concepts and Problem-Solving Strategies

Complete Summary of Telling Time Concepts

Definitions

Analog Clock: A circular clock with hour and minute hands that point to numbers 1-12

Hour Hand: The shorter hand that moves slowly and shows the hour

Minute Hand: The longer hand that moves faster and shows the minutes

Elapsed Time: The amount of time that passes between two events

Duration: The length of time something takes

Core Rules

Time Conversion: 1 hour = 60 minutes, 1 minute = 60 seconds

Minute Calculation: Each number on clock = 5 minutes (1→5, 2→10, 3→15...)

Carry Over Rule: When minutes ≥ 60, convert to hours

Borrowing Rule: When subtracting and minutes insufficient, borrow 1 hour = 60 minutes

Problem-Solving Steps

Step 1: Read the problem carefully and identify what's being asked

Step 2: Identify given times (start, end, duration)

Step 3: Determine operation needed (addition or subtraction)

Step 4: Perform calculations step by step

Step 5: Check if answer makes sense in context

Examples

Simple: 3:15 + 45 min = 4:00 (15+45=60, carry over 1 hour)

Intermediate: 4:30 + 2 hours 45 min = 7:15 (carry over 1 hour from 75 minutes)

Advanced: 5:20 - 1 hour 40 min = 3:40 (borrow 1 hour: 4:80 - 1:40)

Tips & Tricks

Tips: Count by 5s for minutes, draw clocks for visualization, check answers by working backwards

Common Mistakes: Forgetting to carry over, misreading hour hand, incorrect minute counting

Pitfalls: Confusing hour and minute hands, not borrowing when subtracting

Memorization Aids

Memory: "If minutes reach 60, make one more hour"

Pattern: Numbers on clock face: 1→5, 2→10, 3→15, 4→20, 6→30, 9→45, 12→0

Key Points: Hour hand moves slowly, minute hand moves quickly

Questions & Answers

Question: I don't understand when the hour hand is between two numbers, like between 3 and 4. Which hour is it?

Answer: When the hour hand is between two numbers, it's still the earlier hour. For example:

  • If the hour hand is between 3 and 4, it's still 3 o'clock
  • The hour changes only when the hour hand reaches the next number
  • Think of it like this: the hour hand moves slowly, taking 60 minutes to go from one number to the next

So if the hour hand is pointing to 3 but the minute hand is at 6 (30 minutes), the time is 3:30, not 4:30.

Example: If the hour hand is halfway between 7 and 8, and the minute hand is at 9, the time is 7:45, not 8:45.

Question: When I'm counting minutes on the clock, how do I remember what each number means?

Answer: Count by 5s for each number on the clock face:

  • 12 = 0 or 60 minutes (top of the hour)
  • 1 = 5 minutes
  • 2 = 10 minutes
  • 3 = 15 minutes (quarter past)
  • 4 = 20 minutes
  • 5 = 25 minutes
  • 6 = 30 minutes (half past)
  • 7 = 35 minutes
  • 8 = 40 minutes
  • 9 = 45 minutes (quarter to)
  • 10 = 50 minutes
  • 11 = 55 minutes

Practice saying: "5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60" while pointing to each number.

Special names: 15 minutes = quarter past, 30 minutes = half past, 45 minutes = quarter to.

Question: I have trouble with word problems about time. How do I know what to do?

Answer: Look for clue words in the problem:

  • Add when: "later", "after", "more", "total time", "arrive at"
  • Subtract when: "before", "earlier", "how long", "duration", "how much time"
  • Find end time: "What time is it now?", "When does it end?"
  • Find duration: "How long did it last?", "How much time passed?"

Steps to solve:

  • Read carefully and underline important information
  • Draw a timeline or clock if helpful
  • Decide if you need to add or subtract
  • Work step by step
  • Check if your answer makes sense

Example: "Started at 2 PM, worked 3 hours → What time did it finish?" → Add: 2 PM + 3 hours = 5 PM

Example: "Started at 2 PM, finished at 5 PM → How long?" → Subtract: 5 PM - 2 PM = 3 hours