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How many times are an hour hand and a minute hand of a clock at right angles during their motion from 1.00 p.m. to 10.00 p.m.?

Question and options

How many times are an hour hand and a minute hand of a clock at right angles during their motion from 1.00 p.m. to 10.00 p.m.?
  1. 9
  2. 10
  3. 18
  4. 16

Answer and explanation

Correct answer: D - 16
The hands are at right angles when |30H - 5.5M| = 90 or 270. Measuring t in minutes after 12:00, right angles occur at t = (90 + 180k)/5.5. Between 1:00 p.m. (t = 60) and 10:00 p.m. (t = 600) this holds for k = 2 to 17, i.e. 16 times. 3:00 and 9:00 are each counted once, so the naive 'two per hour x 9 hours = 18' overcounts.

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  • CUSAT CAT Integrated IPR Ph.D.

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