What is 12:30 pm in military time? Well, it’s still 12:30.
Now, don’t get confused just yet! Basically, the only difference between the normal time format and military time format is that the former uses a 12-hour clock while the latter uses a 24-hour clock.
The military time format is a practice traced back to ancient Egypt. Today, it is considered to be a more accurate method of reading time, thus being widely used in the military.
At this point, you may still be quite confused, especially when it comes to tricky figures such as the military time for 12 noon. Continue to the next sections of this article to know more.
Table of Contents
Tips to Convert Military Time
A quick trick in order to speedily convert normal time to military time is to add 12:00 to the normal time reading for all hours from and beyond 1 p.m. Thus, 12 p.m. military time is still 12:00 in normal time.
However, when the clock turns to 1 p.m, the military time now reads 1300 (read as “thirteen-hundred”). Also notice that when reading military time, “a.m.” and “p.m.” are dropped, and the hours 13 00 to 23 00 are simply understood to be the “p.m.” hours instead.
12:30 PM Conversion Chart
To make things easier, especially for beginners, you may refer to this military time conversion chart.
| Military time | Normal time (12-hour format) |
| 1230 | 12:30 PM |
| 1231 | 12:31 PM |
| 1232 | 12:32 PM |
| 1233 | 12:33 PM |
| 1234 | 12:34 PM |
| 1235 | 12:35 PM |
The chart once again shows that the military time format does not make use of am/pm. Also, military time starts at 0000 (read as “zero-hundred”) for midnight, and ends at 2300 (read as “twenty-three hundred”) for 11 pm.
If you still want it simpler, you can easily find military time converter tools here:
Rules to Read 12 30 in Military Time
A tricky time figure to read is 12 30. That’s why a separate section is dedicated to this.
There are two ways of reading 12 30 clock figures in military time. The first method is in relation to 12 30 am, while the second way refers to 12 30 pm.
- 12 30 am military time
12 30 am is 30 minutes past midnight. Following the basic principle earlier discussed, since it has not passed the 1 p.m. boundary, there is no need to add 12 00 to the digits.
Instead, remember how the military time for midnight is 0000. Thus, 30 minutes past midnight gives us the military time 0030.
- 12 30 pm military time
1230 pm is noon, or specifically, 30 minutes past noon. This means the additional 12 00 still does not apply, since the time is still within the aforementioned boundary as well.
The military time here is 12: 30, simply dropping the “pm.”
See, the military time 0030 and 1230 are very distinct figures compared to their normal readings of 12 30 am and 12 30 pm. This is one of the benefits of reading military time; it reduces the possibility of error and enhances clarity.
Thus, you don’t really have to worry about whether 12:30 pm is morning or night, since military time makes the time distinctions more noticeable with its 24-hour format.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is midnight in military time 0000 or 2400?
Midnight in military time can be addressed either way. Reading it as 0000 or 2400 is both correct, though the former number is more common.
Conclusion
As military time formats are being used more widely beyond the military, such as in airports and in hospitals, it is important that you gain the skill of reading and understanding military time in order to acquire a better understanding of things happening around you.
The next time you ask yourself “what is 12 30 pm in military time?” the answer will come to you almost like second nature. Practice more and teach someone you know too!
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