Year 1: Clockwise and anticlockwise
Part of the Year 1 position and direction chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page · Download worksheet (PDF) · Answers (PDF)
Clockwise and anticlockwise
Clockwise is the way the hands of a clock move. The arrow goes from 12 to 3, then 6, then 9. Anticlockwise is the other way round. The arrow goes from 12 to 9, then 6, then 3.
The orange arrow in each picture shows the turn. Follow it to see which way it goes.
Key ideas
- Clockwise is the way the hands of a clock move: 12, 3, 6, 9.
- Anticlockwise is the other way: 12, 9, 6, 3.
- Clockwise and anticlockwise are opposite ways round.
Method. Follow the orange arrow round the clock face to see which way it goes.
- Find where the arrow starts. The blue arrow shows the start.Start: 12
- Follow the orange arrow. It goes from the start round to the green arrow.12 → 3
- Say which way it goes. Clockwise goes 12, 3, 6, 9. Anticlockwise goes 12, 9, 6, 3.clockwise
Check. Going anticlockwise from 12 would pass different numbers. ✓
Watch out. Clockwise is the way the hands of a clock move. Check the way the orange arrow points.
Method. Turn the arrow anticlockwise, a quarter turn.
- Start with the arrow on its number. Anticlockwise goes 12, 9, 6, 3.Start: 9
- Turn it anticlockwise, a quarter turn. Each quarter turn moves the arrow 3 numbers round the clock.9 → 6
- Write the number the arrow points to. 6
Check. Turn it clockwise the same amount and it goes back to 9. ✓
Watch out. Count the quarter turns one at a time. Each quarter turn moves the arrow 3 numbers round the clock.
Method. Count the quarter turns shown by the orange arrow.
- Start at the blue arrow. Count the quarter turns from there.Start: 3
- Count the quarter turns along the orange arrow. Each quarter turn moves the arrow to the next number.3 → 12 → 9
- Name the turn. 2 quarter turns is a half turn.half turn
Check. 2 quarter turns from 3 gives 9. ✓
Watch out. Two quarter turns make a half turn. Four quarter turns make a whole turn.
Watch out
Watch out: check the direction of the orange arrow before you move the arrow. Clockwise goes 12, 3, 6, 9. Anticlockwise goes 12, 9, 6, 3.
Exam tip
Grown-up tip. Hold up a real clock or a plate with hands. Turn the hands clockwise and ask: “Which way did it go?” Then turn them the other way. Say “clockwise” together, and point the way the hands move.
Exercise 11F Clockwise and anticlockwise
Non-calculatorMethod. Follow the orange arrow round the clock face to see which way it goes.
- Find where the arrow starts. The blue arrow shows the start.Start: 12
- Follow the orange arrow. It goes from the start round to the green arrow.12 → 3
- Say which way it goes. Clockwise goes 12, 3, 6, 9. Anticlockwise goes 12, 9, 6, 3.clockwise
Check. Going anticlockwise from 12 would pass different numbers. ✓
Watch out. Clockwise is the way the hands of a clock move. Check the way the orange arrow points.
Method. Follow the orange arrow round the clock face to see which way it goes.
- Find where the arrow starts. The blue arrow shows the start.Start: 12
- Follow the orange arrow. It goes from the start round to the green arrow.12 → 9
- Say which way it goes. Clockwise goes 12, 3, 6, 9. Anticlockwise goes 12, 9, 6, 3.anticlockwise
Check. Going clockwise from 12 would pass different numbers. ✓
Watch out. Clockwise is the way the hands of a clock move. Check the way the orange arrow points.
Method. Follow the orange arrow round the clock face to see which way it goes.
- Find where the arrow starts. The blue arrow shows the start.Start: 6
- Follow the orange arrow. It goes from the start round to the green arrow.6 → 9
- Say which way it goes. Clockwise goes 12, 3, 6, 9. Anticlockwise goes 12, 9, 6, 3.clockwise
Check. Going anticlockwise from 6 would pass different numbers. ✓
Watch out. Clockwise is the way the hands of a clock move. Check the way the orange arrow points.
Method. Follow the orange arrow round the clock face to see which way it goes.
- Find where the arrow starts. The blue arrow shows the start.Start: 9
- Follow the orange arrow. It goes from the start round to the green arrow.9 → 6
- Say which way it goes. Clockwise goes 12, 3, 6, 9. Anticlockwise goes 12, 9, 6, 3.anticlockwise
Check. Going clockwise from 9 would pass different numbers. ✓
Watch out. Clockwise is the way the hands of a clock move. Check the way the orange arrow points.
Method. Follow the orange arrow round the clock face to see which way it goes.
- Find where the arrow starts. The blue arrow shows the start.Start: 9
- Follow the orange arrow. It goes from the start round to the green arrow.9 → 12
- Say which way it goes. Clockwise goes 12, 3, 6, 9. Anticlockwise goes 12, 9, 6, 3.clockwise
Check. Going anticlockwise from 9 would pass different numbers. ✓
Watch out. Clockwise is the way the hands of a clock move. Check the way the orange arrow points.
Method. Follow the orange arrow round the clock face to see which way it goes.
- Find where the arrow starts. The blue arrow shows the start.Start: 12
- Follow the orange arrow. It goes from the start round to the green arrow.12 → 3
- Say which way it goes. Clockwise goes 12, 3, 6, 9. Anticlockwise goes 12, 9, 6, 3.clockwise
Check. Going anticlockwise from 12 would pass different numbers. ✓
Watch out. Clockwise is the way the hands of a clock move. Check the way the orange arrow points.
Method. Follow the orange arrow round the clock face to see which way it goes.
- Find where the arrow starts. The blue arrow shows the start.Start: 6
- Follow the orange arrow. It goes from the start round to the green arrow.6 → 3
- Say which way it goes. Clockwise goes 12, 3, 6, 9. Anticlockwise goes 12, 9, 6, 3.anticlockwise
Check. Going clockwise from 6 would pass different numbers. ✓
Watch out. Clockwise is the way the hands of a clock move. Check the way the orange arrow points.
Method. Follow the orange arrow round the clock face to see which way it goes.
- Find where the arrow starts. The blue arrow shows the start.Start: 3
- Follow the orange arrow. It goes from the start round to the green arrow.3 → 12
- Say which way it goes. Clockwise goes 12, 3, 6, 9. Anticlockwise goes 12, 9, 6, 3.anticlockwise
Check. Going clockwise from 3 would pass different numbers. ✓
Watch out. Clockwise is the way the hands of a clock move. Check the way the orange arrow points.
Method. Count the quarter turns shown by the orange arrow.
- Start at the blue arrow. Count the quarter turns from there.Start: 12
- Count the quarter turns along the orange arrow. Each quarter turn moves the arrow to the next number.12 → 3 → 6
- Name the turn. 2 quarter turns is a half turn.half turn
Check. 2 quarter turns from 12 gives 6. ✓
Watch out. Two quarter turns make a half turn. Four quarter turns make a whole turn.
Method. Turn the arrow anticlockwise, a three-quarter turn.
- Start with the arrow on its number. Anticlockwise goes 12, 9, 6, 3.Start: 6
- Turn it anticlockwise, a three-quarter turn. Each quarter turn moves the arrow 3 numbers round the clock.6 → 3 → 12 → 9
- Write the number the arrow points to. 9
Check. Turn it clockwise the same amount and it goes back to 6. ✓
Watch out. Count the quarter turns one at a time. Each quarter turn moves the arrow 3 numbers round the clock.
Method. Start with the arrow on 12. Turn it a half turn each way, and see where each one ends.
- Start on 12 for both turns. Both turns start from the same place.Start: 12
- Turn a half turn clockwise. Two quarter turns clockwise.12 → 6
- Turn a half turn anticlockwise. Two quarter turns anticlockwise.12 → 6
- Compare the two ends. Half a turn is half way round, so both ways end on the opposite side.No. Both end on 6.
Check. Half way round is the same whichever way you go round the clock. ✓
Watch out. A half turn is half way round. Going the other way round still gives half way round.
Method. Follow each turn in order, starting from 3.
- Start on 3. The arrow starts on 3.Start: 3
- Turn a quarter turn anticlockwise. Anticlockwise from 3 goes back to 12.3 → 12
- Turn a quarter turn clockwise. Clockwise from 12 goes to 3 again.12 → 3
- Write where it points. The arrow is back where it started.3
Check. One quarter turn each way cancels out, so the arrow is back on 3. ✓
Watch out. Do the anticlockwise turn first, then the clockwise turn. Each one starts from where the arrow is.
Method. Work out where each turn ends, starting from 12.
- Start on 12. Both turns start at the top.Start: 12
- Make a quarter turn clockwise. It moves to the next number clockwise.12 → 3
- Make a three-quarter turn anticlockwise. Three quarter turns anticlockwise go the long way round.12 → 9 → 6 → 3
- Compare the two ends. Both turns end on the same number.Yes. Both end on 3.
Check. A quarter turn and a three-quarter turn make a whole turn together. ✓
Watch out. Count the quarter turns: one clockwise and three anticlockwise make four in total.