Analogue and digital

What do you understand by an analogue clock? a digital clock? Use yur dictionary if you are in trouble!

Make a list of the advantages and disadvantages of each type.

     

The initials a.m. and p.m. are often used when telling the time. What do these initials stand for? What do they mean?
(Try your dictionary again!)

Is there any method of reporting time which avoids their use?

    

  


The word ‘analogue’ is used to refer to
a clock with hands.
The word ‘digital’ refers to a straight display
of the time in digital form – as digits.

Many people find an analogue display easier
to read, especially in poor light.
Some people might argue that analogue clocks
and watches are easier to reset.

A digital display is better for use with
stop-watches, where an accurate time
difference is required.
(One cannot really say that the
digital display is ‘more accurate’:
this depends on how accurately it has been set.)



The letters a.m. stand for the Latin ante meridien,
which means ‘before noon’.

The letters p.m. stand for the Latin post meriedien,
which means ‘after noon’.

With an analogue clock, the 24 hour day requires
two complete 12 hour revolutions of the small hour hand.
The designation a.m. or p.m. then tells us which
12 hour cycle is being referred to.
A similar problem occurs with a 12 hour digital clock.

The problem is overcome by using a ‘24 hour clock’.
This is only easily accomplished with a digital clock.
Here, if we ignore the seconds, time is measured
from 0.00 (midnight) through to 23:59 (one minute
before the following midnight) before the cycle repeats itself.
Each moment in a 24 hour day then has a unique time
designation, and the letters a.m. and p.m. are not required.

Most travel companies use the 24 hour method
for expressing time.