Question

The minute hand on a watch is 3.00 cm in length. Use a coordinate system in which the y-axis points toward the 12 on the watch face. What is the position of the minute hand at 3:15?

1) (0, 3.00)
2) (3.00, 0)
3) (1.50, 1.50)
4) (1.50, -1.50)

Answer 1

The minute hand at 3:15 will be horizontally aligned with the x-axis with coordinates (3.00, 0), assuming the y-axis points to the 12 on the watch face, and the minute hand's length is 3.00 cm.

Step-by-step explanation:

The minute hand's position at 3:15 can be calculated by visualizing the clock face as a coordinate system. The minute hand will be pointing at the 3, which means it will be aligned with the x-axis. The length of the minute hand is given as 3.00 cm. At 3:15, the minute hand is horizontal and pointing to the right; since the y-axis is towards the 12, the x-axis is towards the 3. Therefore, the coordinates of the end of the minute hand will be (3.00, 0) as it's 3.00 cm along the x-axis and 0 cm along the y-axis. This corresponds to answer choice 2).