We use the following rules for working out time conversions from one unit of measurement to another:
1 hour = 60 minutes (represented as 1h = 60 min)
1 minute = 60 seconds (represented as 1 min = 60 sec)
Let’s now look at some examples of time conversions:
Example 1: Convert 3 minutes to seconds
3 minutes = 3 x 60 seconds = 180 seconds
Example 2: Convert 3 hours and 15 minutes to minutes
= 3 x 60 + 15
= 180 + 15
= 195 minutes
Example 3: Convert 3 days to hours
= 3 x 24 = 72 hours
Example 4: Convert 3 days to hours
= 3 x 24 + x 24
= 72 + 6
= 78 hours
Example 5: Convert 2 hours to minutes
= 2 x 60
= 2 x 60 + x 60
= 120 + 30
= 150 minutes
Example 6: Convert 2 hours to seconds
= 2 x 60 x 60
= 2.5 x 60 x 60
= 9000 seconds
Remember 1 h = 60 x 60 = 3600 seconds
Let’s now look at converting from analog time to digital time, and vice versa.
- 20 past 5 in the morning = 5:20 am
- 40 past 6 in the evening (or 40 past 6 in the afternoon) = 6:40 pm
- Quarter to 6 am = 5:45 am
- 6:04 am = 4 past 6 in the morning
- 17:36 = 36 past 5 pm (because 17 – 12 = 5 pm)