What it shows
The minute hand goes round 12 times for every one round of the hour hand. Learners can set times and see how hours, minutes and angles connect.
The science
The clock face is divided into 12 hours and 60 minutes. The minute hand moves 360 degrees in 60 minutes, so 6 degrees each minute, while the hour hand moves 30 degrees an hour. When the minute hand makes one full turn, the hour hand moves one hour. Telling time involves reading both hands and understanding that one is slow and the other fast.
Materials
Cost: free. Many items come from home or from waste; spare parts such as LEDs, motors and wire are in the store.
- A cardboard circle of 25 cm
- Two strips of card for hands
- A split pin
- Markers
- Ruler and protractor
Safety
For this project: An adult must cut the card circle and make the hole for the pin.
Never use mains electricity: power models with cells, batteries or a low-voltage adapter. Sharp and hot tools, flames and lab chemicals need an adult or your teacher beside you. Keep magnets, button cells and small parts away from young children, and wash your hands after making.
Step by step
8 steps. Do them in order, and test each part before you go on to the next. Write what you notice in a notebook as you go.
Draw a circle and mark 12 equal positions with a protractor at every 30 degrees.
Write the numbers 1 to 12 in order.
Draw small marks for minutes between the numbers and write 5, 10, 15 at the outer ring.
Cut a short hour hand and a long minute hand from card.
Fix both hands at the centre using the split pin so they turn freely.
Set the clock to 3 o clock, half past 7 and quarter to 5.
Ask a friend to set times and read them aloud.
Turn the minute hand one full turn, then move the hour hand on to the next number by hand because this clock has no gears, and see that it moves 30 degrees.
What you should see
A working clock for practice; the child can read o clock, half past and quarter times.
Viva questions
A teacher or a judge will ask how it works. Try to answer each question before you open it, then compare.
01How many minutes are in an hour?
60.
02Which hand is longer?
The minute hand.
03How many degrees does the hour hand move in an hour?
30 degrees.
04What time is it when both hands point to 12?
12 o clock.
Take it further
Make a 24-hour version with an outer ring to learn railway time.
Change one thing, measure what happens, and add a table or chart of your readings: that is what turns a model into your own investigation.
Free ebooks for this project
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