Courses
Courses for Kids
Free study material
Offline Centres
More
Store Icon
Store

Convert Seconds to Hours – Step-by-Step Guide

Reviewed by:
ffImage
hightlight icon
highlight icon
highlight icon
share icon
copy icon
SearchIcon

How to Convert Seconds to Hours Quickly with Examples

We all have seen three hands on a clock face. The minute hand indicates the time in minutes, the hour hand indicates the time in hours, and the second hand shows the time in seconds. There are 12 central divisions on the clock, each lasting one hour, and five minor divisions spaced equally between them.


Five minutes are passed when the minute hand transitions from one large division to the subsequent large division. Each of the 12 significant divisions lasts five minutes, making the equation for an hour: 12 x 5 = 60 minutes.


Time is the eternal progression of past, present, and future events, indicating that time comprises every series of events that have occurred or will occur in the future. It is measured in minutes, seconds, and hours. The clock is used to measure time more precisely and accurately.


What Is a Clock?

The clock is a device for measuring the time that displays the passage of hours, minutes, and seconds.


Clock


Clock


The units used to measure time are the hour, minute, and second. The minute hand is the largest and fastest hand on the clock, followed by the second hand and the Hour hand.


Time

Time is defined as the duration of all events or the specific instant that something occurs. Time includes all events that have occurred or will occur in the future.

Time is written as- Hour: Minutes: Seconds.

Example: 02: 48:28


Time keeper


Time keeper


Two Different Types of Clocks

  • Clock with a 12-hour format: As the name implies, this clock displays time from 1 to 12. These clocks lack digital displays, and the wall clocks are an example.

  • Clock in 24-hour format: This clock displays the time from 1 to 24 as its name says. These clocks are digital, and some wrist-watches, railway’s digital clocks, etc. are examples of such clock format.

In a 12-hour clock, the entire 24-hour period is divided into two segments, from midnight to noon and from midday to midnight. Ante Meridiem, or before noon, is what "A.M." stands for. As a result, we add the A.M. suffix to the time from midnight to noon. For instance, we might say that it is 9 am. Post Meridiem, or "afternoon," is what "P.M." stands for. As a result, we add the P.M. suffix to the end of the time from noon to midnight, for instance, 4 p.m.


Hour, Minute, and Seconds Hands


Hour, Minute, and Seconds Hands


Seconds to Hours Formula

To convert from seconds to hours, divide the number of seconds by 3600.

For instance:

Convert 60 seconds in an hour.

As we know the seconds to hours formula, we need to divide the given time by 3600. Since, here we have 60 seconds, 60 divided by 3600 will give us 0.016 hours.

Conversions:

- 1 Hour = 60 Minutes

- 1 Minute =$\dfrac{1}{60}$ Hour

- 1 Minute = 60 Seconds

- 1 Second = $\dfrac{1}{60}$ Minutes


How to Convert Seconds to Minutes

To change seconds to minutes, multiply the digit by 60. Simply reverse the process of converting minutes to seconds if you start from seconds and need to convert to minutes. To change secs to mins, divide by 60.

For instance:

30 secs divided by 60 mins equals 0.5 mins.

One minute and 30 seconds are identical to 90 seconds.


How to Convert Minutes to Seconds

Keep in mind that one minute consists of 60 seconds. Remember the magic number: 60 seconds for every minute before you begin your conversion. It will be much simpler to convert if you keep this in mind.

For instance:

Change 5 min 37 sec into seconds.

Solution: 1 min = 60 sec

Thus, 5 min = 5 x 60 = 300 sec.

5 min 37 sec = 300 sec + 37 sec = 337 seconds


Solved Examples

Example 1: Convert 270 minutes into seconds.

Ans: We know that one hour is equal to 60 minutes.

Additionally, we know that one minute equals 60 seconds.

Thus, 270 minutes equals 270 x 60, or 16,200 seconds.


Example 2: Convert 4800 seconds into hours.

Ans: First, we need to convert seconds into minutes and then minutes into hours.

$= 4800 \text{ seconds }= \left(4800 \div 60)\text{ minutes }(1\text{ second }=\dfrac{1}{60}\text{ minute}\right)$

$= 80$minutes

$= 80 \div 60$ hours $\left(\text{ minute }=\dfrac{1}{60}\text{ hour}\right)$

= 1 hour 20 minutes


Example 3: Convert 36000 seconds into hours.

Ans: First, we have to convert seconds into minutes and then minutes into hours.

$= 36000 \text{ seconds }= \left(3600 \div 60)\text{ minutes }(1\text{ second }=\dfrac{1}{60}\text{ minute}\right)$

$= 600$minutes

$= 600 \div 60$ hours $\left(\text{ minute }=\dfrac{1}{60}\text{ hour}\right)$

= 10 hours


Hands of a Clock


Hands of a Clock


Try on Your Own

Q1. How many minutes are in 600 seconds?

Ans: 10 minutes are in 600 seconds


Q2. Convert 7300 seconds to minutes to hours.

Ans: 7,300 Seconds = 2.0277 Hours = 2 Hours, 1 Minute and 39 Seconds.


Summary

Time is the continued ongoing growth of past, present, and future scenes. It simply means every sequence of events that has happened, which is occurring or will happen, is created by time. It is estimated in hours, minutes, and seconds. The device used to measure time is known as a clock. The hour hand is the smallest and slowest in the watch, then comes the second hand, and the largest is the minute hand.

FAQs on Convert Seconds to Hours – Step-by-Step Guide

1. How do you convert seconds into hours and minutes?

To convert seconds into hours and minutes, you can follow a simple two-step process. First, divide the total number of seconds by 60 to find the total minutes. Then, divide the result by 60 again to find the hours. The remainder from this second division will be your final minutes.

2. What is the basic formula to change seconds to hours directly?

The direct formula to convert seconds to hours is to divide the number of seconds by 3600. This works because there are 60 seconds in a minute and 60 minutes in an hour, and 60 × 60 = 3600. So, the formula is: Hours = Total Seconds / 3600.

3. Can you show an example of converting 8000 seconds into hours, minutes, and seconds?

Certainly! Here is how you can convert 8000 seconds step-by-step:

  • Step 1: Find the hours. Divide 8000 by 3600. You get 2 with a remainder. So, you have 2 hours.
  • Step 2: Find the remaining seconds. Calculate the seconds in 2 hours (2 × 3600 = 7200). Subtract this from the total: 8000 - 7200 = 800 seconds remaining.
  • Step 3: Find the minutes. Divide the remaining 800 seconds by 60. You get 13 with a remainder. So, you have 13 minutes.
  • Step 4: Find the final seconds. The remainder from the last step is 20 (since 13 x 60 = 780). So, you have 20 seconds left.

The final answer is 2 hours, 13 minutes, and 20 seconds.

4. Why do we divide by 3600 to convert seconds to hours?

We use the number 3600 because it represents the total number of seconds in one hour. Since there are 60 seconds in every minute and 60 minutes in every hour, you multiply these two numbers together (60 × 60) to find the total seconds in an hour, which is 3600. Dividing by this number directly converts seconds into their hourly equivalent.

5. What is the easiest way to handle decimal results, like 2.5 hours?

When you have a decimal result like 2.5 hours, the whole number (2) represents the full hours. To convert the decimal part (0.5) into minutes, you simply multiply it by 60. For example, 0.5 × 60 = 30. So, 2.5 hours is equal to 2 hours and 30 minutes.

6. How is converting seconds to hours different from converting seconds to just minutes?

The main difference is the conversion factor you use. To convert seconds to minutes, you only need to perform one step: divide by 60. To convert seconds all the way to hours, you either need to perform two steps (divide by 60, then divide by 60 again) or one larger step (divide by 3600). You convert to hours when dealing with longer periods of time.

7. When might I need to convert seconds to hours in a real-life situation?

This conversion is useful in many real-life scenarios. For example, you might use it to:

  • Calculate the total duration of a long video or playlist given in seconds.
  • Analyse data from a science experiment where results are timed precisely.
  • Figure out your total time in a long-distance race or marathon if it's recorded in seconds.

8. What is the process for converting hours and minutes back into total seconds?

To convert hours and minutes back into seconds, you do the reverse operations:

  • First, take the number of hours and multiply it by 3600.
  • Next, take the number of minutes and multiply it by 60.
  • Finally, add the two results together to get the total number of seconds.