Solution: Time Marches On

Have you tried doing this activity with a clock? It will help you get the correct answer, and is the best way to "see" why the answer is 22.

The approximate times at which the hands would coincide in a 24 hour period are listed below: (the .5 denotes half a minute)

  1. 12:00
  2. 1:05
  3. 2:10.5
  4. 3:15.5
  5. 4:21
  6. 5:26.5
  7. 6:31.5
  8. 7:37
  9. 8:42.5
  10. 9:48
  11. 10:54.5
  12. 12:00
  13. 1:05
  14. 2:10.5
  15. 3:15.5
  16. 4:21
  17. 5:26.5
  18. 6:31.5
  19. 7:37
  20. 8:42.5
  21. 9:48
  22. 10:54.5

The answer is therefore: 22!

The next 12:00 would begin the next 24 hour day.

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