AM and PM are abbreviations used in the 12-hour clock system to distinguish between the two 12-hour periods in a day.
AM stands for Ante Meridiem, meaning "before midday". It covers the time from 12:00 midnight (00:00) to 11:59 AM, including the early morning hours.
PM stands for Post Meridiem, meaning "after midday". It covers the time from 12:00 noon (12:00) to 11:59 PM, including the afternoon and evening.
Key Points:
12:00 AM = Midnight (start of the day)
12:00 PM = Noon (middle of the day)
Times like 7:00 AM are in the morning; 7:00 PM are in the evening.
To convert from 24-hour to AM/PM format:
Times 00:00 to 11:59 → Use AM (e.g., 08:30 → 8:30 AM).
Times 12:00 to 23:59 → Use PM, subtract 12 from the hour if over 12 (e.g., 19:00 → 7:00 PM).
The 24-hour clock (used in military, aviation, and international contexts) avoids AM/PM confusion by using numbers from 00:00 to 23:59.