Time — Clock & Calendar • Topic 6 of 6

Word Problems

Word problems are where everything in this chapter comes together — unit conversion, a.m./p.m. handling, calendar counting and elapsed time, dressed up in a real situation. The skill is translation: read the situation, decide which of the three elapsed-time questions it is (find the end, find the start, or find the duration), pick the right conversion factors, and watch the boundaries at noon, midnight and the ends of months. A few habits keep candidates out of trouble. When a span crosses 12 noon or 12 midnight, break it at the boundary and add the pieces rather than subtracting straight through. When counting days across two dates, decide first whether the count is inclusive (both end dates counted) or exclusive — a camp 'from 15 May to 10 June, both days included' is (31 - 15 + 1) + 10 = 17 + 10 = 27 days, and forgetting the +1 is the classic slip. When the months differ, count the days left in the first month, add the whole months in between, then add the days into the last month, remembering the real length of each month rather than assuming 30. And always reach for counting-up on duration questions to dodge the base-60 borrowing that creates wrong answers like 4:75 or 2:35.

✅ Solved examples

1. A summer camp runs from 15 May to 10 June, both days included. How many days long is it?
Days in May from the 15th onward: 31 - 15 + 1 = 17 days. Days in June: 10. Total = 17 + 10 = 27 days. The +1 keeps the start date in the count.
2. A cricket match started at 9:30 a.m. and ended at 4:15 p.m. How long did it last?
Convert the end to 24-hour time: 4:15 p.m. = 16:15. Then 16:15 - 9:30: borrow 1 hour, giving 15:75 - 9:30 = 6 hours 45 minutes.
3. A train leaves at 11:45 p.m. on Monday and reaches its stop at 6:20 a.m. on Tuesday. Find the travel time.
Split at midnight. 11:45 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. = 15 minutes. 12:00 a.m. to 6:20 a.m. = 6 hours 20 minutes. Total = 6 hours 35 minutes.
4. How many minutes are there in 3 hours 20 minutes, and why does this matter for word problems?
3 x 60 + 20 = 180 + 20 = 200 minutes. Converting a mixed time fully into minutes is often the cleanest way to compare or subtract durations without juggling two units.

✏️ Practice — try these, take hints as needed

1. Reena reads from 5:40 p.m. to 6:25 p.m. For how long does she read?
Count up to 6:00 first.
Then add the minutes past 6.
45 minutes
2. A holiday lasts from 20 December to 2 January, both days included. How many days is that?
December has 31 days.
Count 20-31 inclusive, then add Jan days.
14 days (12 in December + 2 in January)
3. A flight departs at 10:50 p.m. and lands at 2:35 a.m. the next day. What is the flight duration?
Cross midnight and split.
10:50 p.m. to midnight, then to 2:35.
3 hours 45 minutes
4. How many hours are there in the first week of a leap year February (1 Feb to 7 Feb inclusive)?
That is 7 days.
Each day has 24 hours.
168 hours

📝 Topic test — 8 questions

Auto-graded with full solutions; saved to your dashboard. Use the calculator and formula sheet (top-right) any time.

Loading questions…
← Elapsed Time Take the chapter test →