Problem of the Week - Middle School - Dec. 27, 2020 to Jan. 2, 2021

Middle School: 

Question: A blackbird starts singing in the middle of the night, exactly between sunset and sunrise. If the sun sets at 5:37 pm and rises at 6:47 am, then at what time of night does the blackbird sing? 

Answer: 12:12 am

Solution: First, we need to know how long the night is: there are 12 hours from 5:37 pm to 5:37 am and another 1 hour and 10 minutes until 6:47 am. So, the night is 13 hours and 10 minutes long. Halfway through the night is (13 hours + 10 minutes) ÷ 2 = 6 hours and 35 minutes after 5:37 pm, which is 12:12 am.