What is 12-hour clock system?

The 12-hour clock system is like having two friends who take turns telling you the time.

Imagine you have a clock face with numbers from 1 to 12. This is your first friend, and it shows the time from 1:00 AM to 12:00 PM, that’s morning and early afternoon. Then, around noon, your second friend takes over. They also use the same clock face but add “PM” to show the time from 1:00 PM to 12:00 AM, that's afternoon and night.

When it’s morning, like when you wake up for breakfast, the clock says something like 7:00 AM. In the evening, when you're getting ready for bed, it might say 9:00 PM.

It’s like having a buddy who switches shifts with you, one for the day and one for the night. Both use the same numbers but know when to add “AM” or “PM” so everyone knows if it's morning or evening.

You see this every day on your phone, watch, or even on the school clock!