Converting between units of time is a key skill used in everyday situations and mathematical problems. Time units have fixed relationships that must be remembered and applied carefully.

 

 

Standard Units of Time

Time is measured using these standard units:

• seconds
• minutes
• hours
• days

 

The key relationships are:

• 60 seconds make 1 minute
• 60 minutes make 1 hour
• 24 hours make 1 day

 

Because time does not use base ten, conversions must be done step by step.

 

 

Converting Seconds and Minutes

To convert seconds to minutes, divide by 60.

 

To convert minutes to seconds, multiply by 60.

 

Example
180 seconds is equal to 3 minutes.

 

Example
4 minutes is equal to 240 seconds.

 

 

Converting Minutes and Hours

To convert minutes to hours, divide by 60.

 

To convert hours to minutes, multiply by 60.

 

Example
75 minutes is equal to 1 hour 15 minutes.

 

Example
2 hours is equal to 120 minutes.

 

When the result is not a whole number of hours, it is usually written in hours and minutes.

 

 

Converting Hours and Days

To convert hours to days, divide by 24.

 

To convert days to hours, multiply by 24.

 

Example
36 hours is equal to 1 day 12 hours.

 

Example
5 days is equal to 120 hours.

 

 

Combining Time Conversions

Some conversions require more than one step.

 

For example, to convert seconds into hours:
• divide by 60 to convert to minutes
• divide by 60 again to convert to hours

 

Working in stages helps reduce errors.

 

Always check the unit required in the final answer

 

 

Using Time Conversions in Problems

Time conversions are commonly used when:
• finding durations
• comparing times
• solving word problems
• working with timetables

 

Writing units clearly at each stage helps ensure accuracy.

 

 

Key Points to Remember

There are 60 seconds in a minute and 60 minutes in an hour.
There are 24 hours in a day.
Multiply to convert to smaller units.
Divide to convert to larger units.
Clear working helps avoid mistakes.

 

Being confident with converting between units of time allows problems involving schedules and durations to be solved accurately.