Method 1:
Start from the position of 3 PM and act as if the Minute Hand and Hour Hand move separately to make the visualization/calculation easier.
At 3 PM:
Minute hand will be directly on the 12
Hour hand will be directly on the 3
There is a 30 degree gap between each of the 12 “ticks” on the clock. (360 degrees / 12 gaps)
Therefore, at 3 PM, there is a 90 degree angle between the Minute Hand on 12 and the Hour Hand on 3.
40 minutes pass. (1st) move the Minute Hand and pretend the Hour Hand doesn’t move.
In 1 minute ————> the Minute Hand will travel 6 degrees.
Therefore in 40 minutes ———>the minute hand will travel (40) (6) = 240 Degrees
The minute hand must first travel past the 90 degrees “gap distance” it is behind the hour hand.
And then the minute hand will be (240) - (90) = 150 degrees ahead of the hour hand
(2nd) now we can move the hour hand
In 1 minute —————> the hour hand will move (1/2) degree
Thus in 40 minutes ————> the hour hand will move 20 degrees
The hour hand will cut down 20 degrees of this 150 degree “lead” that the minute hand has on the hour hand.
(150) - (20) = 130
Answer: 130 degrees
Or
Method 2:
Remember that for each minute that passes, the relative speed of:
(minute hand) - (hour hand) = 5.5 degrees each minute
***they are moving in the same direction so the relative speed is not added, but subtracted
At 3 PM there is a 90 degree gap distance between the 2 hands (the minute hand has to “catch up” 90 degrees to meet the hour hand)
In 40 minutes:
(5.5) (40) = 220 degrees is traveled
However, 90 degrees of this was the minute hand “catching up” to the hour hand
220 - 90 = 130 degrees
Answer: 130 degrees
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