How many time zones exist in the world, and what is the spacing between them?

• A. 23
• B. 26
• C. 24
• D. 12

Answer: (C)

Time zones reflect the Earth’s rotation and the 24 hours in a day. If you imagine dividing the globe into equal slices, there are 24 zones, each spaced about one hour apart from the next because the Earth rotates 360 degrees in 24 hours (360/24 = 15 degrees per zone). So the standard setup is 24 time zones with a one-hour spacing between adjacent zones. In real life, some places use half-hour or other offsets and daylight saving time can shift clocks temporarily, but the basic idea remains: 24 zones, 1-hour apart.