What is 12-hour clock?

A 12-hour clock is like having two teams take turns playing a game throughout the day and night.

Imagine you have a favorite toy that shows time, maybe it's a watch or a clock on the wall. This kind of clock only has numbers from 1 to 12, just like the hours on your toy’s face. It uses AM and PM to tell you if it's morning or evening.

• In the morning, when you wake up, the clock shows times like 8:00 AM, that means "8 o’clock in the morning."
• In the afternoon or night, when you're playing with your toys or getting ready for bed, the clock might show 3:00 PM, that’s "3 o’clock in the afternoon."

It's like having a buddy who helps you know if it’s time to go outside or time to rest. The AM stands for "Ante Meridiem," which is fancy Latin for “before noon,” and PM means “Post Meridiem”, “after noon.” But you don’t need to remember the fancy words; just think of them as morning and evening helpers!