Submarine maths quest: time

Quick answer

You can use time to plan your submarine adventure, track how long you have to complete tasks, and find your way through underwater caves. Time helps you know when to start, when to stop, and how much time you have left.

Learning outcome

By the end of this page, you will be able to read clocks to tell time to the nearest minute, plan submarine routes using time, and understand how time helps you keep track of your underwater journey.

• You can read the hour and minute hands on an analogue clock
• You can tell time to the nearest minute
• You can use time to plan your submarine journey
• You can solve simple time problems using subtraction

Why this matters

Time is important when you're exploring the deep sea. If you're on a submarine, you need to know when to start your journey, how long it takes to reach a place, and when you must return. Time helps you stay safe and plan your underwater adventures. You use time every day when you get ready for school, play games, or eat lunch. In a submarine, time can be the difference between success and running out of air!

How it works

Time is shown on clocks in hours and minutes. The long hand shows minutes, and the short hand shows hours. When the minute hand points to 12, it means zero minutes past the hour. When it points to 1, it means 5 minutes past the hour. Each number on the clock face is 5 minutes apart.

For example, if the hour hand is between 3 and 4, and the minute hand points to 6, that is 3:30. The hour hand is past 3, and the minute hand is on 6, which means 30 minutes past 3.

Submarines need to plan their journeys using time. If you have 2 hours to reach the coral reef and you start at 10:15, you must arrive by 12:15.

Examples you can see

Imagine you are on a submarine. You need to check the time to plan your adventure:

• You start your dive at 9:00
• You need to reach the sunken ship by 10:30
• How long does it take you to get there?

From 9:00 to 10:30 is 1 hour and 30 minutes. This is how you calculate it:

1. From 9:00 to 10:00 is 1 hour
2. From 10:00 to 10:30 is 30 minutes
3. 1 hour + 30 minutes = 1 hour 30 minutes

Another example: You are in the submarine at 11:45 and you need to surface in 15 minutes. What time will you surface?

1. Start at 11:45
2. Add 15 minutes
3. 11:45 + 15 minutes = 12:00

So, you will surface at 12:00.

Try it as a mini adventure

Imagine you are Captain Submarine, and you are planning a treasure hunt. You must follow a secret route through the ocean. Here is your adventure:

1. Start at 8:00 in the morning
2. First stop is at the coral cave. You arrive at 8:45
3. Next stop is the sunken ship. You arrive at 9:30
4. Last stop is the treasure room. You arrive at 10:15
5. How long did it take to get from the coral cave to the sunken ship?

From 8:45 to 9:30 is 45 minutes. You can count the minutes on your clock or add them up:

1. From 8:45 to 9:00 is 15 minutes
2. From 9:00 to 9:30 is 30 minutes
3. 15 + 30 = 45 minutes

So, it took 45 minutes to go from the coral cave to the sunken ship.

Common mistakes

• Mistake: Thinking the minute hand shows the hour and the hour hand shows the minutes.
• Why it happens: The hands look similar, and children often mix them up.
• Fix: Remember the long hand is the minute hand, and the short hand is the hour hand.

• Mistake: Counting the numbers on the clock face instead of counting minutes.
• Why it happens: Children are used to counting numbers, not minutes.
• Fix: Each number on the clock is 5 minutes, so count by 5s to get the minutes.

• Mistake: Adding time incorrectly, like 1 hour 45 minutes + 30 minutes = 1 hour 75 minutes.
• Why it happens: Children don’t know that 60 minutes make 1 hour.
• Fix: Remember to regroup 60 minutes as 1 hour. So 1 hour 45 minutes + 30 minutes = 2 hours 15 minutes.

Parent and carer guide

Help your child learn time by making it fun and real:

• Use a real clock or a digital clock to practice reading time together
• Ask your child to tell you what time it is when you start a game or eat lunch
• Set a timer for 10 minutes and let your child count how many times it ticks
• Plan a trip or a day using times. For example, "We will leave at 2:00 and be home by 4:30"
• Play a game where you say a time and your child shows it on a clock
• Encourage your child to use time to plan their own activities

Don’t worry if your child gets confused. Time is tricky, and practice helps. Make it a game, not a test.

Practice questions

1. What time is it if the hour hand is at 4 and the minute hand is at 6?
2. How long is it from 7:15 to 8:45?
3. If you start your submarine dive at 9:20 and you need to surface in 40 minutes, what time will you surface?
4. What time is 30 minutes after 10:50?
5. How long is it from 6:00 to 11:30?

• Answer 1: 4:30
• Answer 2: 1 hour 30 minutes
• Answer 3: 10:00
• Answer 4: 11:20
• Answer 5: 5 hours 30 minutes

FAQ

How do I read a clock?

Look at the short hand for the hour and the long hand for the minutes. Each number on the clock is 5 minutes apart.

Why is time important in a submarine?

Time helps you plan your journey, know when to surface, and keep track of how long you can stay underwater.

How can I practice telling time?

You can practice by using a real clock, playing time games, or making up stories with times.

What is the difference between 10:15 and 10:45?

There are 30 minutes between 10:15 and 10:45. You can count the minutes or subtract 10:15 from 10:45.

Can I use a digital clock to learn time?

Yes, digital clocks show time clearly. You can also use them to check if your analog clock is correct.