When watch shows 5:15, if the minute hand points towards the east, then in which direction will the hour hand point at 6:00?

To determine the direction the hour hand will point at 6:00 when the minute hand points east at 5:15, we can assess the positions of the hour and minute hands on a standard clock face.

1. Understanding Clock Directions:

   • On a clock, 12 o'clock points north, 3 o'clock points east, 6 o'clock points south, and 9 o'clock points west.

2. Position of the Minute Hand at 5:15:

   • At 5:15, the minute hand is on the 3 (which points east).

3. Position of the Hour Hand at 5:15:

   • Each hour represents 30 degrees (360 degrees / 12 hours).
   • At 5:00, the hour hand is at 5 * 30 = 150 degrees.
   • At 5:15, the hour hand moves an additional quarter of an hour (15 minutes), which is $\frac{1}{4} \times 30 = 7.5$ degrees.
   • Therefore, the hour hand is at $150 + 7.5 = 157.5$ degrees.

4. Direction of the Hour Hand at 6:00:

   • At 6:00, the hour hand is at the 6, which is 180 degrees from the top of the clock (north).
   • 180 degrees corresponds to the southern direction.

Final Answer

At 6:00, the hour hand will point south.