Park Cleaning Time Calculation When Was The Cleaning Completed?

Hey guys! In this article, we're going to break down a classic math problem that involves calculating time. This is something we encounter in everyday life, whether it's figuring out how long a meeting will last or planning our commute. Let's dive into the problem and solve it together!

Okay, so here's the situation: A team of employees started cleaning a park at 9:20 AM. They worked hard for 3 hours and 15 minutes to get the job done. The big question is: At what time did they finish cleaning? We have two options given: 11:35 AM and 12:20 PM. Let's figure out which one is correct!

To solve this, we need to add the duration of the work (3 hours and 15 minutes) to the starting time (9:20 AM). It sounds simple, but we need to be careful when dealing with hours and minutes. We can't just add the numbers straight up because there are 60 minutes in an hour, not 100. So, let's break it down step by step.

First, let's consider the hours. The team started at 9 AM and worked for 3 hours. Adding these together, we get 9 + 3 = 12 hours. So, we know the cleaning finished sometime around 12 PM.

Now, let's look at the minutes. They started at 20 minutes past 9 and worked for an additional 15 minutes. Adding these together, we get 20 + 15 = 35 minutes. So, the cleaning finished 35 minutes past the hour.

Putting it all together, we have 12 hours and 35 minutes. This means the cleaning finished at 12:35 PM. But wait! That's not one of the options we were given. What went wrong?

Okay, let's double-check our work. We added 3 hours to 9:20 AM, which gave us 12:20 PM. Then, we added the 15 minutes, which should give us 12:35 PM. Ah, I see the mistake! The question gives the options 11:35 AM and 12:20 PM. Our calculation of 12:35 PM isn't listed, which means we made an error in the initial hours calculation. Let’s correct that now.

Adding the hours again, we started at 9 AM and worked for 3 hours. So, 9 + 3 equals 12. This part is correct.

However, we need to add the minutes carefully. The team started at 9:20 AM. They worked for 3 hours and 15 minutes. So, let's add the minutes first: 20 minutes (start time) + 15 minutes (work duration) = 35 minutes. This means the final time will have 35 minutes past the hour.

Now, let's combine the hours and minutes. We ended up with 12 hours and 35 minutes, which gives us 12:35 PM. However, this time doesn't match any of the options given, 11:35 AM and 12:20 PM. It seems there was a miscalculation somewhere.

Let’s go through it one more time to make sure we’ve got it right. Starting at 9:20 AM and adding 3 hours takes us to 12:20 PM. Now, add the 15 minutes: 12:20 PM + 15 minutes = 12:35 PM. Still, this doesn't match our options. Let's try a different approach to ensure accuracy.

Sometimes, breaking the problem down into even smaller steps can help. Let’s add the 3 hours first. If the team started at 9:20 AM, adding 3 hours brings us to 12:20 PM. Great, so far so good.

Now, let’s add the 15 minutes. Starting from 12:20 PM, adding 15 minutes gives us 12:35 PM. Okay, we keep getting the same answer. This reinforces our calculation, but it doesn't align with the provided options.

It's important to consider that sometimes mistakes happen in the presentation of problems. Given our consistent calculations, it's possible the options provided have an error, or there may be a typo in the problem itself. However, we must also consider if we overlooked something.

Let’s take a closer look at the options we have: 11:35 AM and 12:20 PM. If the cleaning finished at 11:35 AM, and they started at 9:20 AM, let’s calculate the duration. From 9:20 AM to 10:20 AM is 1 hour. From 10:20 AM to 11:20 AM is another hour. That’s 2 hours so far. Then, from 11:20 AM to 11:35 AM is 15 minutes. So, in total, that would be 2 hours and 15 minutes.

If they finished at 12:20 PM, the duration would be 3 hours exactly (from 9:20 AM to 12:20 PM). But the problem stated the work lasted 3 hours and 15 minutes. This further solidifies our understanding that our calculation is likely correct, and the provided options might be inaccurate.

Alright, guys, we've tackled this time calculation problem from all angles! We started by adding the hours and minutes, broke it down into smaller steps, and even re-evaluated the options. Through our consistent calculations, we've determined that the team finished cleaning at 12:35 PM. However, since this time isn't listed in the provided options, it's likely there's a mistake in the options themselves.

It's a great reminder that even in math problems, sometimes the given information might have errors. The important thing is to understand the process, double-check our work, and be confident in our calculations. Keep practicing, and you'll become pros at solving these types of problems! And remember, math isn't just about finding the right answer; it's about understanding the process.

Time-related problems often come up in various real-life scenarios, so mastering them is super helpful. Whether it’s planning a schedule, cooking a meal, or calculating travel time, these skills are essential. So keep practicing, and don't be afraid to tackle new challenges. You got this!