Time zone worksheet 2 - Jennifer Semmes | Library | Formative - Free Printable

Problem Analysis

The task involves determining the time difference between a reference location (your school) and several other cities around the world. The table provides the current time in each city, and you need to figure out whether the time in each city is ahead of (+) or behind (-) your school's time, along with the exact time difference in hours.

Solution Approach

1. Identify Your School's Time: First, determine the current time at your school. This will serve as the reference point for calculating time differences.
2. Understand Time Zones: Each city operates on a specific time zone. For example:
- Tokyo is typically in UTC+9.
- Rome is in UTC+1.
- NYC is in UTC-5.
- Los Angeles is in UTC-8.
- Sydney is in UTC+10.
- Paris is in UTC+1.
- Anchorage is in UTC-9.
3. Calculate Time Differences:
- If a city's time is later than your school's time, it is ahead (+).
- If a city's time is earlier than your school's time, it is behind (-).
- Use the provided current times and the known time zones to calculate the differences.

Step-by-Step Solution

#### 1. Assume Your School's Time
Let's assume your school is located in New York City (NYC), which is in the Eastern Time Zone (UTC-5). Suppose the current time at your school is 7:00 PM.

#### 2. Calculate Time Differences

##### Tokyo, Japan (UTC+9)
- Current time in Tokyo: 2:00 AM
- Time difference from NYC (UTC-5):
- Tokyo is 14 hours ahead of NYC (9 - (-5) = 14).
- Since Tokyo is ahead, use `+`.
- Time Difference: +14 hours.

##### Rome, Italy (UTC+1)
- Current time in Rome: 7:00 PM
- Time difference from NYC (UTC-5):
- Rome is 6 hours ahead of NYC (1 - (-5) = 6).
- Since Rome is ahead, use `+`.
- Time Difference: +6 hours.

##### NYC, New York (UTC-5)
- Current time in NYC: 1:00 PM
- Time difference from NYC (UTC-5):
- NYC is the reference point, so the time difference is 0.
- Time Difference: 0 hours.

##### Los Angeles, California (UTC-8)
- Current time in Los Angeles: 10:00 AM
- Time difference from NYC (UTC-5):
- Los Angeles is 3 hours behind NYC (-8 - (-5) = -3).
- Since Los Angeles is behind, use `-`.
- Time Difference: -3 hours.

##### Sydney, Australia (UTC+10)
- Current time in Sydney: 3:00 AM
- Time difference from NYC (UTC-5):
- Sydney is 15 hours ahead of NYC (10 - (-5) = 15).
- Since Sydney is ahead, use `+`.
- Time Difference: +15 hours.

##### Paris, France (UTC+1)
- Current time in Paris: 7:00 PM
- Time difference from NYC (UTC-5):
- Paris is 6 hours ahead of NYC (1 - (-5) = 6).
- Since Paris is ahead, use `+`.
- Time Difference: +6 hours.

##### Anchorage, Alaska (UTC-9)
- Current time in Anchorage: 9:00 AM
- Time difference from NYC (UTC-5):
- Anchorage is 4 hours behind NYC (-9 - (-5) = -4).
- Since Anchorage is behind, use `-`.
- Time Difference: -4 hours.

Final Table

| Location | Current Time | + or -? | Time Difference (in hours) |
|-------------------------|--------------|---------|---------------------------|
| Tokyo, Japan | 2:00 AM | + | 14 |
| Rome, Italy | 7:00 PM | + | 6 |
| NYC, New York | 1:00 PM | | 0 |
| Los Angeles, California | 10:00 AM | - | 3 |
| Sydney, Australia | 3:00 AM | + | 15 |
| Paris, France | 7:00 PM | + | 6 |
| Anchorage, Alaska | 9:00 AM | - | 4 |

Explanation

- The time differences are calculated based on the offset between the UTC time zones of each city and the assumed UTC time zone of your school (NYC, UTC-5).
- Positive values indicate that the city is ahead of your school's time, while negative values indicate that the city is behind.

Assumptions

- Your school is located in NYC (UTC-5).
- The current time at your school is 7:00 PM.
- Daylight Saving Time (DST) is not considered in this calculation. Adjustments may be needed if DST is in effect.

If your school is located in a different time zone, you can adjust the calculations accordingly by using the appropriate UTC offset for your location.