To find the length of each shift, we need to divide the total number of hours worked by the number of shifts.
The length of each shift is 4.2 hours / 3 shifts = <<4.2/3=1.4>>1.4 hours/shift.
Since Ms. Smith began work at 11:30 a.m., her first shift ended at 11:30 a.m. + 1.4 hours = <<11+1.4=12.7>>12:42 p.m.
Note that 1.4 hours is equivalent to 84 minutes. Since there are 60 minutes in an hour, we can also express the length of each shift as 1 hour + 24 minutes. In this case, Ms. Smith's first shift would have ended at 11:30 a.m. + 1 hour + 24 minutes = <<11+1+24=12.4>>12:54 p.m.
On Earth Day. Ms. Smith worked a total of 4.2 hours giving out booklets about recycling. She divided the work into three equal shifts. She began work at 11:30 a.m. What time did her first shift end?
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