Multiple choice

How many times in a day, the hands of the clock are in a straight line but not together?

  1. $24$
  2. $22$
  3. $12$
  4. $11$
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Hands of a clock are in a straight line but not together when they are 180 degrees apart. This happens once every hour, except between 5 and 7, where it happens only once at 6 o'clock. Thus, it occurs 22 times in 24 hours.

AI explanation

The hands of a clock point in opposite directions 11 times every 12 hours because their relative speed causes them to align 11 times, creating 11 straight line orientations that exclude the overlapping positions. Since a full day consists of 24 hours, we multiply this frequency by two. Therefore, the hands are in a straight line but not together 22 times in a day.

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