Another Mad Ade Clock Teaser!
Whilst waiting outside the "Sweaty Chef Kebab Shop" for it to open, Mad Ade looks across at Madadia's Town hall clock (Designed by the legendary Arthur Minit).
He began to wonder how often in every 24 hours the second hand of the clock would pass over and be exactly parallel to the other hands of the clock.
He had almost worked it out, but was disturbed by the doors of the kebab shop opening, and he never gave it a second thought after that.
Can you work out the answer to Mad Ade's question?
AnswerMost people would surmise 2880.
The second hand is parallel to the minute hand once a minute, and parallel to the hour hand once a minute. Therefore, it is parallel 2 times a minute.
no. of minutes in 24 hrs =1440
But within each of the 1440 minutes in the day, the second hand meets both other hands separately, except within
12 midnight (both hands at once)
11:59AM (no hands until 12 noon)
12 noon (both hands at once)
11:59PM (no hands until next day)
and within the 22 other N:59's (the hour hand only, since, within an N:59 minute, the second hand doesn't meet the minute hand until the onset of the following minute). Thus, the second hand will meet another hand 2852 times a day.
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