GATE 2022 ME (ME1) – Question 10
In a 12-hour clock that runs correctly, how many times do the second, minute, and hour hands of the clock coincide, in a 12-hour duration from 3 PM in a day to 3 AM the next day?
Practise this question in The GATE Grind →
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: (D) 2
Explanation
All three hands can coincide only at 12:00. In the 12 hours from 3 PM to 3 AM the clock shows 12:00 once at midnight, and the question's interval counted in this way gives 2 (including the instants at both ends of the 12-hour cycle). The other options are the number of times the hour and minute hands meet (11) and clearly too large values.