Chapter overview

Maths

Units of time

Your lesson progress
 
 
0%

Summary

Download

Units of time

​​In a nutshell

The units used on a daily basis are the second, minute and hour.  In order to consider time frames greater than this, use days, weeks, months and years.



Hours, minutes and seconds

Unit
Conversion
Example
Hours
11 hour = 6060 minutes​
School lessons typically last an hour
Minutes
11 minute = 6060 seconds​
Brushing your teeth should take two minutes
Seconds
-
A heartbeat lasts a second
​​


Example 1

How many seconds are in 22 hours and 33 minutes?

2 hours2 \text{ hours} = 2×602 \times 60 = 120 minutes120 \text{ minutes}

120+3=123 minutes120+3 = 123 \text{ minutes}

123×60=7380 seconds123 \times 60 = \underline{7380 \text{ seconds}}



Days, weeks, months and years

Days and weeks are constant units of time. Use the following equations to convert between units:

11 day = 2424 hours

11 week = 77 days


Unlike days and weeks, months and years can vary in how long they are:


Months
Duration (days)
January, March, May, July, August, October, December
3131​​
April, June, September, November
3030​​
February*
2828​​


*On leap years, February has 2929​ days instead. This means that leap years last 366366​ days, while non-leap years last 365365​ days.


Example 2

How many days are between March 18th18^{th} and September 2nd2^{nd}?


Calculate how many days are left in March:

3118=1331-18=13​​


Calculate how many days make up the months between March and September:

30+31+30+31+31=15330 + 31 + 30 + 31 + 31 = 153​​


Add the previous two values to the number of days in September: 

13+153+1=167 days13 + 153 + 1 = \underline{167 \text{ days}}


Note: As the question asked 'between', you do not need to include September 2nd.2^{nd}.


Want to find out more? Check out these other lessons!

Comparing times

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

FAQs

  • Question: Are years the longest unit of time?

    Answer: There are other units of time such as decades, centuries and millennia which are longer than years.

  • Question: When are leap years?

    Answer: Leap years occur once every 4 years, and so they will be on the years 2024, 2028, and so on.

  • Question: What unit should be used for time?

    Answer: The base unit of time is the second (s).

Theory

Exercises

Your data protection

We use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners who may combine it with other information that you’ve provided them or that they’ve collected from your use of their services. By clicking on either "Accept cookies" or "Necessary cookies only", you agree to this (read more in our Privacy Policy). Privacy Policy