Time Converter
Convert instantly between different units.
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Time Unit Conversions
Time conversions are essential for project planning, programming, physics, and everyday scheduling. While time units above seconds follow irregular patterns (60 seconds/minute, 60 minutes/hour, 24 hours/day), the math becomes straightforward with the right reference values.
Exact Time Conversion Factors
- 1 minute = 60 seconds
- 1 hour = 3,600 seconds = 60 minutes
- 1 day = 86,400 seconds = 24 hours
- 1 week = 604,800 seconds = 7 days
- 1 year = 31,536,000 seconds (365 days) or 31,557,600 (Julian year)
Approximate Conversions for "Months"
Months are irregular (28–31 days), so conversions involving months are approximate. Common approximations: 1 month ≈ 30.44 days (365/12); 1 year = 12 months = 52.177 weeks.
How many seconds are in a year?
A standard calendar year (365 days): 365 × 24 × 60 × 60 = 31,536,000 seconds. A leap year (366 days): 31,622,400 seconds. The Julian year (used in astronomy): 365.25 × 86,400 = 31,557,600 seconds. A common approximation used in science: "π × 10⁷" (≈31,415,927 seconds) is accurate to 0.4%.
Why are there 60 seconds in a minute and 60 minutes in an hour?
This comes from the ancient Babylonians, who used a base-60 (sexagesimal) number system around 2000 BCE. They divided the day into 12 double-hours and subdivided further by 60. The Egyptians borrowed this system, and it eventually reached the Greeks and Romans. 60 is highly composite — divisible by 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 12, 15, 20, 30 — which made mental fraction calculations easier without decimals.