Clock Hands Angle | Dataford Interview Questions

A Deem travel itinerary may display local departure times in a compact analog-clock preview. Given a valid 12-hour clock time, calculate the smaller angle between the hour and minute hands.

The hour hand moves continuously as the minutes advance. For example, at 3:30, the hour hand is halfway between 3 and 4, not exactly on 3.

Formal Specification

Implement clock_angle(hour, minute):

Input: hour, an integer from 1 through 12, and minute, an integer from 0 through 59.
Output: the smaller angle between the two hands, represented as a number of degrees. Return an integer when the result is whole, otherwise return the exact decimal value.

The answer must be in the range [0, 180].

Constraints

1 <= hour <= 12
0 <= minute <= 59
The clock is a standard 12-hour analog clock
The result must not be rounded

Function Signature

def clock_angle(hour, minute):

Your question is Clock Hands Angle. Start with the requirements in the Question tab.

Run and submit as often as you like. When you're ready, talk me through your approach or go straight to the code.

Problem