The minute hand moves 6° per minute and the hour hand 0.5° per minute, which makes clock angles a classic puzzle.
How to use the Clock Angle Calculator
- Hour
- Minute
Results update as you type, and every field accepts the units shown in its menu.
How it works
Compute each hand’s position in degrees from 12 o’clock and take the difference, keeping the result at most 180°.
Inputs explained
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Hour | A number |
| Minute | A number |
What each result means
- Angle between hands = min([Raw angle], 360 – [Raw angle])
- Reflex angle = 360 – [Angle between hands]
Example values
How the main result changes when Hour changes and everything else stays at the example values above:
| Hour | Angle between hands (°) |
|---|---|
| 1.5 | 37.5 |
| 2.25 | 15 |
| 3 | 7.5 |
| 3.75 | 30 |
| 4.5 | 52.5 |
| 6 | 97.5 |
Formula
Angle = |30H − 5.5M|Worked example
Inputs — Hour: 3; Minute: 15.
Results — Angle between hands = 7.5 °; Reflex angle = 352.5 °.
Frequently asked questions
Why is 3:15 not 0°?
The hour hand has moved a quarter of the way toward 4, so the angle is 7.5°.
When do the hands overlap?
About every 65.45 minutes.
What formula does the Clock Angle Calculator use?
Angle = |30H − 5.5M|.