NCERT Solutions for Class 5th Maths Chapter 3 Clockwise and anti-clockwise — Which direction?
Book page 40 Updated on2026-09-19
Q1.
In which direction do the hands of a clock move?
Answer
The hands go from 12 to 1, then 1 to 2, then 2 to 3, and so on — that is, from the top, over to the right, down to the bottom, round to the left and back to the top.
This direction is given a name: clockwise. The opposite direction — 12 to 11 to 10 to 9 — is called anti-clockwise.
Clockwise: from 12 towards 1, 2, 3 …
Clockwise
Anti-clockwise
12 → 3 → 6 → 9 → 12
12 → 9 → 6 → 3 → 12
the way clock hands move
the opposite way
tightening a bottle lid
opening a bottle lid
Tip: To remember which is which, just picture a clock on the wall. Whatever the hands do is “clockwise”. Everything else is “anti-clockwise” — anti means against.
Q2.
The creatures below have made a quarter turn once. Tick the direction in which they have moved. (Ladybird, Snail, Bee, Ant) — (Clockwise/Anti-clockwise)
Answer
Look at which way the creature’s head was pointing before, and which way it points after.
Creature
Head at first
Head after the turn
Direction
Ladybird
pointing left
pointing up
Clockwise
Snail
pointing down-right
pointing down-left
Clockwise
Bee
pointing left
pointing down
Anti-clockwise
Ant
pointing up
pointing left
Anti-clockwise
How to decide, every time
Find one clear part of the creature — the head is easiest.
Say where that part was: up, down, left or right.
Say where it is now.
Ask: is that the way a clock hand would go? Left → up → right → down is clockwise. Up → left → down → right is anti-clockwise.
The ladybird: its head goes from pointing left to pointing up — the way a clock hand travels. Clockwise.The ant: its head goes from pointing up to pointing left — against the clock. Anti-clockwise.
Why it happens: A quarter turn moves the head exactly one “corner” round: left becomes up, up becomes right, right becomes down, down becomes left — if you go clockwise. Going anti-clockwise it is the other way about.
Q3.
Observe the direction of movement while opening a tap, unscrewing a lid or loosening a nut. Do they move clockwise or anti-clockwise?
Answer
To open them you turn anti-clockwise. To close them you turn clockwise.
What you do
Direction
Opening a tap
anti-clockwise
Closing a tap
clockwise
Unscrewing the lid of a jar
anti-clockwise
Screwing the lid back on
clockwise
Loosening a nut with a spanner
anti-clockwise
Tightening a nut
clockwise
Opening: the hand goes anti-clockwise.
Why it happens: A tap, a lid and a nut all have a screw thread — a slanting ridge that winds round like a staircase. Almost all threads in the world are cut the same way, so turning clockwise makes them go in and tighten, and turning anti-clockwise makes them come out and loosen.
Sample answer: “I opened the tap in our kitchen. My hand moved anti-clockwise. When I closed it, my hand moved clockwise. The lid of the pickle jar worked the same way.”